A Rose Garden of Beauty and Rage
by Awaken the Asylum
Summary: Saved from the brink of obliteration, Goku Black attempts to enforce his authority upon a new, war-torn world...he just didn't expect an encounter with the Time Witch, Towa, nor the consequence that would complicated their lives. What does the future hold for these two as they seek their own form of domination against the other? Warnings inside.
1. Fury of a God

A/N: Back with a brand new story. Now, fair warning, because this chapter does contain a lemon (I'm hoping it's not too explicit for here), along with violence and swearing, which will be part of this story. Goku Black/Towa is an extremely rare pair and in a way, I'm hoping to change that, so fingers crossed this turns out well. Hope you all enjoy.

* * *

There was commotion within the castle.

A buzz of excitement and anticipation that hummed throughout the soldiers of the Time Breakers ever since news of Towa's return was released. She had been successful in her mission and it had put her in such high spirits that it spread through her soldiers like a virus, because she now had something that could give her the power she needed.

Or to be exact, someone.

It had not been an easy feat to accomplish and required absolute delicate timing for it to be successful, hence why Towa had to be the only one to take on the mission: she didn't trust any of her underlings to do it for her and as much as Mira was capable, he had been dismissive about her suggestion and she knew she couldn't send him; he'd jeopardise the mission just to satisfy his own ego and that would not do.

No, it had to be her and because it had been her, she triumphed where others would fail. Not many could say they escaped from the gates of oblivion by the skin of their teeth, but Towa made it look easy. And now, she had the opportunity to tap into some truly unimaginable power; power that would give her the edge she needed to achieve her goals and ascend to a whole new level than she dreamed possible.

There was, however, the matter of collecting that power. The specimen was heavily damaged and required an extensive amount of healing before she could even begin her experiments. A minor setback, but one that Towa was willing to be patient about. After all, he was of no use to her if he was weaker than a low-level Saiyan.

Nevertheless, she felt pride in her accomplishment and not even Mira's standoffishness could dent her elation.

"Oh, please don't be such a bad egg, my dear," Towa smirked at her creation. "Think of all the possibilities he has to offer us."

"Hn," was all Mira had to offer in reply.

Towa simply shrugged and decided to ignore him. As much as she wanted to keep admiring her prize (it seemed to have the added bonus of irritating Mira), she had other matters that required her attention.

"Let me know the second he is ready for processing," Towa requested of her head scientist.

"Yes, my lady," the Namekian acquiesced.

"Come, Mira, let's see what trouble we can stir up." Leaving her beloved laboratory, the pair soon arrived in the war room, where Time Breaker soldiers hurried about, carrying out orders and in the centre, two high-ranking demons watched events taking place on a giant screen. "What's the situation?" Towa asked.

Putine gave a small nod of acknowledgement at her boss' presence. "We have done as you requested and have various Time Breaker forces in the flow of history. As expected, the Time Patrol has arrived."

"No big deal," Towa commented lightly. "As long as they learn nothing of our secret, their interference means nothing to me. Keep them entertained; we don't want them to suspect anything."

"Of course, Towa."

"Good. Now, since everything seems to be under control," Towa said with a sly smirk towards Mira, "what do you say we…celebrate our recent success?" Putine suddenly felt uneasy, the oaf Gravy was oblivious to the innuendo and Mira…ignored his creator…Towa frowned. "Something wrong, Mira?"

"We don't need him," the Android finally growled.

"What makes you say that?" the witch questioned, trying to maintain patience with her creation. Sometimes his dour disposition was quite the turn-off. "Do you not understand the power he-?"

"I have all the power we need," Mira interrupted, clenching his fist. "My strength is enough and as I continue to get stronger-"

"It's artificial power," Towa cut in patiently. "Yes, you are powerful in your own right; unfortunately, we cannot use it, at least not for this endeavour. Don't worry, Mira, you are still essential-"

"He is a liability. There is a possibility that we cannot control him."

"I need to check on something," Putine muttered to no-one in particular, wanting to be far away from the lovers' quarrel and she snatched Gravy by his earlobe, dragging him away. "Come on, Gravy."

"Do you doubt my abilities?" Towa questioned her creation and the Android remained silent, showing off his teeth with a growl instead and he resumed his natural stance. "Mira, if I didn't know any better, I'd almost say you're…jealous of our catch."

"We don't need him," the Android reasserted.

Towa touched his cheek, turning his face towards her and he eventually looked at her. "My dear Mira, I understand your concern, but he can prove vital to us. You've never objected before, so why now? Do you feel threatened by him?" Again, the Android remained silent. "His power will be of great boon to us, especially for you. This is your chance to finally have the power you crave. Please be patient, my pet. You'll understand in the end."

"Fine," Mira heaved out. "I will follow your lead."

"Good boy," Towa patted his cheek fondly. She shot a look at the camera view of the laboratory, focused on her accomplishment, the being known through time as Goku Black, encased within a tank filled with rejuvenating liquid. A fine specimen of both Saiyan and Godly material, now hers to use at her whim. Towa smirked and she leaned in tantalising close to Mira's ear. "Now, about our celebration…"

-X-

Towa hummed pleasantly to herself, obviously in high spirits after her 'celebration'. This combined with the euphoria of capturing Goku Black to help supplement her goals put her in an extremely good mood. It felt like everything was slowly, but surely, coming together; all Towa needed now was time and as a witch capable of manipulating time, it meant that success was within her grasp.

"Is he ready?" Towa asked as she returned to her laboratory, eyes locked on the comatose Black. He truly was a remarkable specimen and she was ecstatic to have him in her possession. The potential she now had at her disposal was limitless.

"Yes, he is ready for processing," Putine reported. "We will start upon your word, mistress."

"Do it."

Putine nodded the affirmation and the head scientist approached the tank as the liquid was drained, leaving Black suspended by cables and the oxygen mask. He was still in a comatose state, which made it easier for the Namekian scientist to insert the Energy Absorbing Device. He stabbed it into Black's flank and the God twitched – the Namekian paled, holding his breath in fear, but when Black remained unconscious, he sighed and returned to his work. Almost immediately, the device was full, much to the scientist's surprise, although Towa simply smiled: she had expected this, confirming Black's potential and usefulness.

"Give it here," Towa commanded when the Namekian evacuated the tank and it was filled with the liquid again to keep Black comatose. He gave her the device and she smiled as she caressed a hand along its side, feeling the immense power contained within. "Beautiful."

Swift as a bat, she left the laboratory and made her way down the numerous flights of stairs to reach the castle's basement, where the next part of her goal waited. Mira stood to the side, arms crossed and stoic as ever, as Gravy finished tending to the body that lay upon the altar. Towa shot a glare at Mira for allowing the simple, brutish demon to prepare the finishing touches, but the Android simply grunted and shrugged, not giving her any reasons. Towa sighed and shooed Gravy away from the altar, before hesitantly approaching the body.

The body belonged to Mechikabura, a great and powerful demon of ancient times – and Towa's grandfather. Although it had been millennia since his death, his body had not decayed and even now, he appeared peaceful, dressed in red robes benefitting his former role. Towa could barely remember him and used to rely on her brother's memories of the former Demon Emperor; his immense power meant that Towa could finally achieve her dreams if she was successful in reviving him.

With Goku Black's power humming in her hands, she believed it was possible.

"Dark Father, I, your humble and loyal servant, endeavour you to return to us and guide us in our time of need," Towa chanted as she plunged the Device into the corpse. "Restore us to our former glory."

Black's energy bled into the carcass and there was an explosion of light due to the output of the power. Mechikabura's body jerked and twisted in response to the power flowing through the dead tissue and Towa had to literally battle against the wrenching body to keep the device inserted; as soon as it was empty, she ripped it away and stepped back to watch her handiwork come to life.

Mechikabura's body eventually stilled and the witch watched with trepidation, hoping her effort had paid off.

A minute passed and nothing happened.

Another minute passed. Still nothing

After five minutes, Towa let out a sigh, trying to suppress the disappointment welling up. She didn't see it as a major blow, simply a minor setback; clearly this idea didn't work out and she simply had to find another way to resurrect her grandfather, short of tracking down the Dragonballs. No doubt the Time Patrol had those magical artefacts under tight security or supervision.

"Well, that was a disappointing failure," Towa announced, trying to make light of the situation.

Mira grunted. "I told you…we don't need him. We should cast him back to where he came from. He will be nothing but trouble for us."

"I haven't even started working on him and you're already dismissing him. This was just a side project," Towa rounded on her creation. "What exactly is your problem? You know what, never mind. I'm suddenly not in the mood to hear your excuses."

Her experiment had failed and she was annoyed; the last thing she needed was Mira adding to it with his damned insecurity issues. The next time he had a routine check-up, she was getting rid of that stupid problem. It was not attractive.

Towa stormed into her laboratory, her annoyed musings having boiled over into thunderous thoughts. Putine noticed the murderous look in her eyes and wisely decided to keep her head down, although when the witch stood next to her, observing Goku Black, the sorceress wrestled with the desire to say something to calm her boss down: a furious Towa was dangerous to be around.

"The experiment didn't work?" Putine cautiously asked, testing the waters.

"What do you think?" Towa snapped. "And to add to my misery, Mira is being a petulant brat about Black. He thinks he's not worth the trouble; I will show that creation of mine that he's wrong."

"Well, to be honest, he does have a point," Putine stated. "Goku Black is unpredictable, not to mention that he is a former Supreme Kai; gods are not as easy to put under our control as other mortals, never mind the fact that it's currently impossible. In fact, there are some tantalising alternative options who could work better for us than Black…just in case it fails."

Towa side-eyed the aqua-haired demon. "I will make it work. I will make a god bow to me. Besides, Black is a lesser god; he is nothing like a God of Destruction, but if my experiments on him are successful, then there is a chance I could have even Beerus under my control."

"That…is quite ambitious. However, there is something I should tell you that I discovered about our latest project…I don't think you will like it too much."

"Putine, what is it?"

"Well…if you want to put him under our control…it won't be easy. I mean, I still need to run the final tests to make absolutely sure about my discovery, but…his brain…it's a mess."

"It doesn't matter, because it'll be a mess anyway once I'm through with him."

As Putine sighed in resignation, Towa resumed her gazing of Goku Black, still internally pleased that she had managed to snatch him in the last seconds of a dying universe, saving him from being erased from existence at Zeno's hands. It had taken a great deal of planning and timing and to pull it off successfully – Towa frowned at Black's naked body. "Did he…did he just move?"

-X-

Pain. Agony. Suffering.

Every nerve was on fire, screaming at him, torturing him. His mind was numb, memories echoing like a disjointed dream. Or a nightmare. Was he alive, dead or somewhere in between, lingering on some astral plane while his life flashed before him? He knew what Hell was like and even though this existence felt like it, his soul _burning_ , somewhere in his subconscious told him he was not a resident.

Goku Black slowly drifted back into the realm of cognizance, his mind an agonisingly vibrant hive of activity as it tried processing what the fuck was going on and why his head hurt so damn much. In fact, his entire body ached, but the majority was based in his head…and around his heart for some reason. It was like his soul had been flayed, left shredded by whatever had happened to him –

-The image of an enraged Super Saiyan Trunks flashed, brandishing his sword and Black's eyes snapped open and he saw everything that was wrong.

Green, translucent liquid filled his vision and something covered his lower face, feeding him the oxygen he needed. He tried to move, but they were sluggish and it wasn't just from the liquid; various cables and wires were hooked into him, like he was some damn science experiment. The sight filled him with rage, murderous towards whoever put him in this situation and that's when he finally saw through the glass wall of his containment tank and spotted her: the blue-skinned she-devil.

He remembered her as the universe was dying around him at Zeno's hands. She had ensnared him with a hair's breadth of being obliterated, her self-assured smirk the standout feature as she snatched him away. A mortal…even worse…a demon.

The sight of her filled his veins with fury and he sought to escape his prison and deal with her – Black suddenly felt light-headed and the rage dulled in his body as it became exhausted, like he wanted to sleep for centuries – realising what the witch was doing, trying to gas him to sleep, Black wrestled against the drug clouding his mind and senses, a ki ball forming in his hand. He slammed it against the tank as hard as he could despite the opposing surroundings – the glass cracked.

"That is designed to contain him, right?" Towa asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. She did not want to imagine what would happen if he broke free. Damn Mira for his insightfulness.

"Yes, mistress," Putine replied, panicking while trying to contain the situation, as Black resorted to punching his chamber instead. "Don't worry, we have him under-"

Glass shattered, liquid spilled everywhere and Goku Black dropped free of the tank, shaky due to the sedatives, his fury working as a counter-agent and he straightened, his drenched body and feral smile making him look like a demented madman as he tore the wires away.

"Contain him," Towa said, backing away. "Contain him now!"

The Namekian scientist gagged and clutched at his split throat, purple blood gushing between his fingers. Black snarled and disembowelled a Time Breaker with a swift swipe of his Aura Slide. Alarms blared throughout the castle and Towa decided that a retreat would be wise until he could be contained, Putine retreating alongside her. Just as they left, a body was hurled out after them, followed by an explosion as the laboratory was engulfed in flames.

Black staggered out of the wrecked room, blood splattered across his bare body as he tried to track the witch who brought him here, bloodlust driving him in search of revenge. He could barely think rationally, his mind regressing to primal rage to fulfil the need for blood – a fist crashed into his jaw.

Black snarled, took one look at Gravy – and floored him with a knee to the gut.

The demon collapsed to the ground in a heap, his pitiful whine sounding like a balloon letting its air out – Black strode past him without a second look, intent on catching the witch…if Mira wasn't standing in his way. The Demon Android had his arms crossed; a look of disdain on his face as he sized up the buck-naked, bloodstained Saiyan.

"I knew Towa was wasting her time," he spoke. "Time to put you down for good."

Rage clouded Black's mind and he let out a feral snarl as he strode towards Mira – he didn't care who he was, he just knew the Android was in his way and he intended to remove him any way possible – he slashed with the Aura Slide, but Mira deflected the attempt with ease, almost casual-like – Black clocked him with a vicious left hook. Angered that he'd been struck due to his own carelessness, Mira responded in kind and Black was blasted across the hallway.

-X-

Towa came to a stop in a hallway in the lower section of the castle, alarms blaring around her as she heard the crashes of a battle raging above. She leaned against the wall, frustration and weariness burdening her: the effort she'd gone through in sparing Black from erasure was going to waste, given that Mira was battling him, no doubt with the intention to destroy him and coupled with the failure to revive her grandfather, it was safe to say she was brimming with infuriation. However, just because her current plans were falling apart didn't mean it was over; it was simply a mild setback that would put her on the path to success…she just hoped that Mira wouldn't ruin everything by killing Black; she still needed the Saiyan-Supreme Kai.

The castle stilled and Towa frowned, unable to hear the sounds of battle…did Mira finally stop Black's murderous rampage? Or did Black triumph over her creation? Her heart thudded with trepidation and she knew she had to find out the result.

Putine yelped when she was blasted by a Power Ball, slammed into the far wall and knocked out cold. Towa's heart thudded harder, as Black suddenly appeared before her, still with a deranged look; she swung her staff, but he smacked it from her hand and then he pinned her to the wall by her throat with one hand and raised the other towards her face with the Aura Slide activated.

Any second now and he would drive the ki blade home and spill her life all over the floor, but for some reason, Black stared at her, growling as he tilted her head from side to side, like he was sizing her up for something and she was unable to do anything but obverse, his strength too great for her.

What was he looking for? Why was he staring? Why hadn't he killed her yet? Not that she was upset; any delay to her death was welcomed, but the question still needed to be asked, given his killing spree. Why was he hesitating with her? Did he want something from her?

It didn't matter; her life hung in the balance and she was willing to do anything to survive. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so Towa did the only thing she could think of in that fraught moment: she grabbed his cock. Immediately, Black tensed, a shocked expression on his blood-smeared face as his body responded to her cool touch. His violent urges protested against the touch, wanting to plunge his ki blade into her throat, but other, long-lost instincts bubbled to the surface. Primal instincts and Black growled, feral-like and deep in his throat, his body angling closer to Towa…and she'd be lying if she said that growl didn't send tingles through her body to her loins, even though she was only touching him for her own survival, hoping to lull him into a less-violent mood and escape.

Where was her back-up to capture him? What happened to Mira?

He slammed the ki blade into the wall beside her head and while she flinched, Towa didn't dare stop her ministrations, questioning herself on how she'd gotten into this situation and how she would get out of it (and what in her right mind made her think that grabbing his junk was a good idea? How would that help her?), when Black pressed his body against hers, panting against her throat as his groin swelled within her grasp.

"What is this? What…are you…doing?" he managed to growl at her as she continued to caress him. It was the first sign of intelligence from him since his escape and he instinctively gyrated his hips, his swollen cock sliding in her palm, his breath hot on her neck. It was as if her touch had quelled the raging beast and awakened something else inside the man.

" _I have no idea,"_ Towa thought to herself as an answer, but she wasn't dead, so that was a plus, but now she was in a damn trickier situation, one she wasn't sure how to escape…except through one outcome – his mouth mashed against her and she was caught by surprise by the kiss. It was the complete opposite of soft and sweet – this was raw, speaking volumes of primal need and Towa couldn't help but reciprocate, despite her better judgement, as the kiss, even with its sloppy, raw need, ignited a raging fire in her system.

Lustful feelings ran rampant through the both of them and Towa was surprised to find herself responding to him, her body wanting more from him; the scent of her arousal struck Black's nose and it spurred him on, his hands pawing at her body. Towa gasped when her clothes ripped under his fingers, giving him access to her skin; his teeth nipped at her breasts, leaving faint marks behind as he finished shredding her outfit, leaving her bare before him.

Regardless of the fire that burned through her veins at his touch, Towa knew she had to nip this in the bud before it got any further (how much was too far, considering she was already naked like him?)…or before she gave in completely to her desires and hurled caution to the wind – she arched her back with a moan when his mouth closed around her nipple, teeth worrying the hard bud and her hands gripped his hair, guiding him further, wanting to give him more.

His instincts guided his hand between her legs, gliding through her wet lips and eliciting soft moans from the witch. Two fingers suddenly plunged inside her soaked core (which surprised the witch, signalling that she wanted more than she let on; the question had to be begged: did she?) and Towa let out a strangled groan; she wanted to feel more than just his fingers, but she knew that if she did that and gave in to the pleasure, she would be betraying Mira…Black's cock rubbed against her inner thigh, leaving a streak of pre-cum on her skin as he roughly fucked her with his fingers. She shut her eyes at the pleasure coursing through her and already, she could feel an orgasm start to build.

Black growled primal-like as her arousal assaulted his senses and without warning, he pulled his fingers from her – Towa groaned in despair from the loss – and he lined his heaving cock up to her opening and rammed it inside her. Towa's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull at the size of him filling her cavern, as he drove in to the hilt. She couldn't help the noises that escaped her – he was so thick inside her, she had never felt so full before and oh, the intense pleasure he brought out in her as he began his strokes. Every time Black bottomed out, he would brush against her clit, drawing ragged breaths from her, and he grabbed her thighs, holding her up and spreading her legs wide for easier penetration as he fucked her against the wall.

She had her hands on his sculpted, bloodied chest to steady herself, losing herself to the ecstasy their passion wrought. His fingers dug into her soft skin, but it was a pleasurable feeling and it wasn't like her nails weren't leaving scratches on his chest.

"Fuck…so good…you feel so fucking good…inside me," Towa panted, despite herself, despite the rational part of her screaming that what she was doing was completely wrong, that she was betraying Mira by letting Black defile her; his hips snapped against hers like a man possessed.

She shouldn't be feeling this good with someone other than Mira; she shouldn't be doing this at all, but damn! The way he moved, holding her in his strong arms, his cock driving deep inside her, her breasts pressed against his chest, her nipples hardened and rubbing upon his skin…it was awakening all kinds of burning desires in her and she didn't want it to end any time soon, her rational overtaken by her pleasure.

"Keep going…I want more…give me more, goddammit. Fuck me like you mean it."

It astonished her at the vulgarity escaping her lips and it was because of him: she never spoke like this with Mira.

Growls of desire were the only response she got, but she didn't care, not now, not with the flames of passion burning throughout her body.

He was like a beast as he pumped into her, his fingers leaving marks on her ass cheeks while he nipped at her throat; her eyes rolled into the back of her head as her orgasm struck, her body shaking against his as she cried out her pleasure, nails digging into the skin of his back; Black growled at the slight pain, the scent of her climax overwhelming him and he rutted into her, chasing his own climax. He grunted, the increase of his thrusts and his gasps of hot breath on her skin signalling his impending orgasm; Towa was too lost in her blissful aftermath to realise, blanketed by her pleasure…until he sank his teeth into her collarbone, marking her as his body tensed, nails biting into her skin as his climax swept through him and her eyes popped open in realisation and horror.

" _No, no, no, no!"_ Towa thought in despair Black's cock pulsated and splattered her cervix with his cum. Hard jets of semen burst into her slick channel, painting her inner walls. _"Not…inside…me…"_ she internally cried, even as her body betrayed her, clenching around Black's cock to milk him of every drop. _"Not at this time…"_

He panted against her skin, coming down from the crescendo, his body lax against hers as he withdrew from her and droplets of his essence fell to the floor. Towa's mind ran wild, her cunt full of his seed, her chest heaving as she tried to come to grips with what she'd just done: she had just fucked a god-like Saiyan in order to save her own skin, betraying Mira in the process and she struggled to think on what to do next; her thoughts were such a jumbled mess, she was having difficulty trying to settle on just one thought – Black stepped back from her, his primal need sated and now that the animalistic instinct was no longer driving him, his higher functions were returning and his eyes widened as if he had just realised what he'd done – he smashed into the far wall, courtesy of a punch from an enraged Mira.

"Mira?" Towa gasped, realising her nakedness, even though it was nothing new to Mira, but given what she'd done, she felt the need to cover herself up, especially since she was still recovering from her high, mixed with the severity of her actions.

God, she wanted to vomit.

Mira glanced at her, could smell the sex in the air and his fury broke its limits as he took in his defiled lover. With a roar, he turned towards Black and unleashed the Weekend, punching Black through the castle wall and outside to the desert ground. Mira stormed towards the open hole in chase of his foe, but Black was nowhere to be seen. Snarling in frustration, Mira turned back to Towa and his face softened as he saw her sitting on the floor, her arms wrapped around herself. His anger subsided, although that simply made the pain in his flank flare: even in a weak, feral state, Black was cunning and had exploited an opening in the fight to stab Mira, temporarily disabling him…if Mira had been swifter in recovering, Black would never have gotten his hands on Towa. He slowly approached her and reached out to her, but she flinched from him; he sighed dejectedly and he felt the urge to brutally murder Black – his flank burned as a reminder, but the pain would serve as motivation.

"He forced himself onto you, didn't he?" the Android questioned.

Towa remained quiet for a moment, contemplating her words, trying to figure out exactly how to explain _this_ to her creation. "No…I started it, merely to save my life. He was going to kill me, Mira, so I ended up doing something I shouldn't have done…please forgive me."

"Let's get some clothes onto you," Mira said and he held out his hand again; this time, Towa took it and he scooped her into his arms to protect her nudity from everybody else who had no right to see her naked and he hurried towards their chambers.

-X-

Down in the basement, the corpse of Mechikabura convulsed once more, relaxed and then red eyes opened as the Demon Emperor sucked in rattling gulps of air for the first time in centuries, forcing his preserved lungs to finally work as life was restored to his body, heart beating once more.

He was alive. The Demon Emperor lived once more

-X-

Goku Black staggered across the desert, wind whipping his body, still smeared with blood and marked by his lustful encounter with Towa; indeed, the liquid of her lust was drying upon his privates, but that wasn't a concern at all; his priority was finding shelter and trying to figure out where he was. Memories were returning to him as he walked: he remembered sneering at Goku, Vegeta and Trunks right before he fused with Zamasu, but anything after that and before he woke up in Towa's laboratory was a complete blank. This world didn't even feel like the same timeline he tormented Trunks in, even though he could tell from the atmosphere that he was still on Earth.

Where the hell in history was he?

Too many questions charging through his mind and not enough answers did little to quell the pain bursting behind his eyes.

Did he really put his dick…into a demon?

God, the thought made him want to vomit.

Weariness overcame him, a feeling unknown to Black and he fell to his knees, gasping for breath as his chest ached and his head felt like it was going to explode. Finally, Black collapsed in the dirt and his eyes closing against the agonising assault and within seconds, he was out cold to the world.

* * *

A/N: Any good? Or could it be worked on better?


	2. Venture of a New Time

Dressed once more, Towa sat in front of her vanity mirror, trying to sort through her jumble of thoughts. She felt nothing more than shame and regret, although Mira hadn't turned his back on her for her involvement in the…ordeal and she was absolutely grateful for that, for she couldn't bear the thought of her precious creation abandoning her. However…if she was honest with herself, there was a small part of her that had immensely enjoyed the fornication…Black had sated something inside her that not even Mira had done before. Not that she usually noticed, but after an hour of sorting out her thoughts, Towa took note of it now and that small part of her wanted more from Black…wanted it again with him; it'd been rough, delicious and incited a great thrill in her, despite her life being at stake. Just thinking about it now brought warmth to the core between her legs and Towa had to clench her thighs together, doing her best to banish the lusty thoughts for her own sake.

She damn well should not sit here and reminisce about the despicable act with Black with such enjoyment, like it had been a great thrill, because she had only done it under duress…and she had initiated it to prolong her life, not expecting it to go that far, but now she had crossed the line and there was no going back. Feeling guilty about it wasn't going to change a thing; Towa had enjoyed it, yes, but the act was completely wrong and shouldn't have happened.

Her collarbone burned with the memory of Black marking her and she snarled under her breath, casting the memory to the deepest recess of her mind. She would make Black pay.

Then, there was the other problem.

It was a delicate time of the month for Towa, her chance of falling pregnant increased right now and while it was usually never a problem for her, since she knew a spell to prevent pregnancy…it had been an hour and she still hadn't performed the spell yet.

The part of her that was loyal to Mira wanted the spell done, to flush herself out and get rid of Black's essence…but the scientist in her was curious about the potential result. Mira was an amalgamation of Demon and Saiyan, but he was the fruition of a science experiment and infused with cells from other races…if she went through with this, it would a biologically produced Demon-Saiyan hybrid and given Black's godly nature, the offspring would be immensely powerful. The possibilities of what she could do with such power at her disposal was endless…she wouldn't even need Black…and since she would be the mother, the child would be completely loyal to her and willing to follow any order she gave.

At the same time, however, if Towa went through with the pregnancy, carrying another man's child was a huge slap in the face to Mira, who had previously expressed the idea of producing an heir – Towa nixed the idea at the time, focused instead on furthering her plans against the Time Patrol, although she wasn't entirely opposed...she just felt it wasn't the right time yet. Now, she was contemplating going through a possible pregnancy with another man, simply to sate her scientific curiosity and potential experiments.

Then, there was the matter of pregnancy itself. Towa didn't like the idea of having something grow inside her, using her body as a source of nutrients like a damn parasite and she didn't like the idea of her body changing beyond her control and having to take a back seat to everything because she would be unable to do anything. She couldn't have her Time Breakers see her as a walking beach ball, not to mention the thought of giving birth made her ill and she felt quite opposed to ever going through that procedure.

If she were to do this, perhaps there could be a way where she could either rapidly advance the pregnancy to its final stage or even extract the potential foetus from her womb and grow it in a tank instead. She was a scientist after all. It could be possible.

With so many various and chaotic thoughts running through her head, Towa, for once, truly had no idea of what she was going to do or the direction she had to take.

A knock at her chamber door startled Towa and she quickly composed herself, ordering the person to enter. Putine stepped into the room and gave a small, respectful nod.

"I apologise for interrupting you, mistress, but I have some news."

"What is it?" Towa asked in a disinterested tone.

"Mechikabura is awake."

Towa's eyes widened and without another word, she grabbed her staff and hurried towards the basement. Mira was there, arms crossed and a stoic look, while Gravy was tending to Mechikabura, who sat on a makeshift throne, a short staff between his gnarled hands. Towa slowly approached her grandfather in reverie and fell to her knees in a low bow full of respect and admiration.

"Rise, my child," Mechikabura croaked, his voice raspy from centuries of lack of use.

She did as requested, although she kept her head bowed. "My lord, it is glorious that you have returned to us…with you at the helm again, the Demon Realm can finally be awakened and the universe will be ours, twisting and writhing with raging beauty."

"The air is stale and dry upon my lips," he spoke. "I feel tightness in my chest, a sense of unease passing through me. My power is not what it used to be…this power I feel now is strange and not my own. I have power…but I am too old…"

"My lord?" Towa asked, confused by whatever point he was trying to make.

"How was I revived? Who's power did you use?"

"I used the power of Goku Black, a Saiyan tainted by a Supreme Kai."

"Ah, that explains the foul divine stench," Mechikabura inhaled deeply and a grin appeared. "I see he has left his mark on you. His stench lingers upon you and…within you…interesting."

Towa bowed her head lower, shame burning on her face. "Survival makes us do things we wouldn't normally do…I apologise for my transgression."

"It matters not to me. But his power…it has potential…I require more of it to fulfil my true strength. Bring him to me, so that I could make use of him…unless you aren't finished using him yourself."

Damn, he was making her curse her recent choices by making her look foolish. Towa took in a deep breath to regain her composure. "My lord…that won't be possible…he escaped us some time ago."

Mechikabura pursed his dry lips. "That…will…not…do. I demand competence. How do you expect to revive the Demon Realm if you constantly fail?"

" _I simply tell myself that failure is just another path to success,"_ Towa thought, keeping them to herself. "Again, I offer my apologies-"

The Demon Emperor slapped the end of his staff upon the floor, silencing her. "I do not want to hear your apologies. You will bring me this Goku Black and to ensure his capture, I will grant you my help."

The orb in his staff glowed and emitted thick black smoke. It swirled and choked the air, Mechikabura using his own dark magic, aided by Black's power, as a figure appeared in the smoke. The person was male, but was adorned in a red, hooded robe and a Time Breaker mask obscured his face. Towa twitched, feeling the immense power within this person.

"Behold, the Dark-Masked King," Mechikabura announced. "Perhaps now failure won't befall you like it has in the past. Now go, bring me Goku Black."

Towa bowed again. "As you wish, my lord. Mira, we have work to do."

Mira simply grunted and walked away, as the Dark-Masked King joined him. Towa followed after them, Putine falling into step beside her. "Forgive me for asking, mistress, but is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," Towa replied. "Do not concern yourself."

"But what he said-"

"Putine…drop it. It does not concern you. What is the report on the repairs?"

"Despite the slaughter being completely unexpected, we should be back to operational within the schedule…replacing the deceased is a different matter."

Towa waved her hand dismissively. "Don't bore me with details. I don't c-"

There was a thunderous noise outside the castle and the scientist tensed; she hoped Black hadn't returned to finish what he started, not so soon – the huge oak doors burst open and Demigra waltzed into the castle as if he owned the place, a wide grin on his face. He wasn't alone; a tall, slender and beautiful female demon was by his side; raven-haired and red-eyed, she was dressed in an immaculate business-style suit with a large belt that had the letter 'R' adorned on the buckle.

"Ah, what a glorious day this is," Demigra proclaimed as he strode towards Towa and Putine. "The Demon Emperor has returned to the living, bringing our goals closer to fruition."

Towa frowned at him. "What brings you here, Demigra? Last I remember, you were still trapped in your little prison; how did you escape?"

"Ah, I owe that to my dear secretary, Robelu," the Demon Wizard replied, making a sweeping gesture to the female demon. "She found a way to spring me free and I sensed our lord's revival, bringing me here. After all, we should be united in our goal in reviving the Demon Realm and restoring the universe to its rightful rulers. Simply put, I am here to offer my services."

"Fine, then you can oversee the Time Patrol problem and the Tuffle war."

Demigra chuckled. "My dear Towa, are you having trouble with some simple parasites?"

"Just do it, Demigra. I have more important matters that require my attention."

"Yes, I imagine chasing after a Saiyan who has left his scent on you is very important. Ah, Putine, a pleasure to see you after all this time. Tell me, is Gravy here as well? It'll be quite a reunion."

As Putine confirmed Gravy's presence, Towa saw her chance to slip past the Demon Wizard and follow after Mira and the Dark-Masked King. It frustrated her that everyone could work out what she'd done with Black and comment on it; even now, she could feel the burn of his bite on her collarbone and it infuriated her that he felt the right to mark her. When she finally got her hands on him, she was going to make him regret ever touching her.

-X-

 _The world was dying and he had failed._

 _Blood spilled from his lips, soaked his clothes, slipped between his fingers as he tried to stem the flow, but the damage had been done: Goku Black was dying, felled by his foes and the Zero Mortal Plan had come undone. He could see the multitudes of Zamasu's face blanketing across the sky, laughing as he taunted the three mortals who'd opposed them, but there was nothing Black could do to help…Trunks' blade had seen to that and now as he laid in a pool of his own blood, his life inching closer to oblivion, Black couldn't help but wonder where they'd gone wrong._

 _How had they failed? The Zero Mortal Plan was assured…there was no stopping it, even as two arrogant Saiyans who had stolen the power of gods for themselves and a half-breed tried to resist them…beams of furious red energy rained from the sky, blasting the landscape and even though one narrowly missed Black, he couldn't help but chuckle, despite the agony the action caused him._

 _Why did he doubt? Zamasu was seeing through the Zero Mortal Plan, transcended beyond his physical body and becoming one with the universe…soon, all the mortals in the realm of existence would be eradicated, purifying the universe and even though he wouldn't live to see it happen, Black was happy to die, knowing that the Zero Mortal Plan had actually succeeded…_

 _Wait…what was that light?_

 _Oh no._

 _Not him._

 _Not Zeno, the Omni-King._

 _NO!_

 _This was not how it was supposed to go._

 _This was now how it was meant to end._

 _He would ruin everything!_

 _Black knew he had to do something – there was no way he could allow the Omni-King to snuff out his life, obliterate every single trace of him and destroy everything Black had worked so hard to accomplish – he wouldn't even get to enjoy an afterlife. Unfortunately, there was nothing Black could do to resist his fate and as much as that infuriated him, it was true: his power was nothing compared to that of the Omni-King, less so in his dying state._

 _Even Zamasu in his Infinite form looked horrified at the appearance of the Omni-King._

 _Black hacked up blood, resigned bitterly to his fate, to be erased from existence by the one being he hoped wouldn't learn about his and Zamasu's Plan…oblivion was only moments away when_ _ **she**_ _appeared: the blue-skinned witch, her smirking face flashing in his mind._

Black twisted in his sleep as the dream changed to that of the final confrontation with Goku, Vegeta and Trunks. He dreamt of his fusion with Zamasu, but instead of being a beautiful god, they were hideous, deformed, and repulsive. There were flashes of Super Saiyan Trunks, wielding a giant sword made of spiritual energy and he used it to best the fused god, slicing him in half. There were flashes of the world evaporating around Black, Towa's smirking face once more and her face soon morphed into Zamasu's.

" _Ah, you're awake," the Supreme Kai spoke. "Good to see my efforts weren't in vain."_

 _A shout and Zamasu was split in half and now Trunks stood in his place, still wielding the same giant sword, a look of fury upon his face._

" _I will destroy you, Black!" he screamed._

Black's eyes snapped open to escape the nightmare.

Immediately, he regretted that decision, his eyes protesting against the instinctive action. His head throbbed in agreement and he shut his eyes against the harsh light of day. The pain in his chest throbbed so agonisingly severe that it bordered on paralysing. He snarled against the pain, fighting to use it instead of it controlling him – his strength had come through pain and he refused to be defeated by it – Black opened his eyes again, fighting against the pain that threatened to consume him and he pushed himself to a kneeling position, letting loose a roar of power – the pain receded and he panted heavily, clutching a hand to his chest where the focal point of the pain originated. He ghosted his fingers over the skin and frowned when he felt imperfection – a quick glance revealed a jagged, horizontal scar that stretched from his chest to his navel, no doubt a result of Trunks' sword that severed the fusion. Anger coursed through Black at the discovery – how dare a mortal sully and mar his body like that?

Thoughts of revenge were soon replaced by imagery of Towa and the carnal pleasures they had partaken in together brought Black to a stop. Revulsion churned in his gut and he felt disgusted that he had been reduced to a basic creature of lust, tempted by a witch in the heat of his rage. He was a god who did not consort with lesser beings, let alone engage in such filthy activities to begin with – Black felt a stir in his loins as the memory replayed and he quickly quelled those disgusting images with thoughts of violence and vengeance. Not only had he fucked a mortal, but he had fucked a demon, beings he considered lower than even humans and the self-loathing intensified. Ashamed that he had given in to Towa's deceit, Black tapped into his Kai powers, amazed to find they still worked, and he conjured a set of his standard clothes, quickly slipping them on, as if getting dressed would erase the feel of her touch on his skin, the way she felt around him as she squeezed –

Black slapped himself. He would not think any further on that temptress and the next time he saw her, he would be slitting her throat for doing that to him. To think that she had the audacity to fuck a god – no mortal would even dare, let alone contemplate the thought. Who did she think she was? Although…if he was being completely honest with himself, looking back at it, a part of Black could admit…he had enjoyed the act – his loins twitched again, another slap to his face – no, the demon had to pay…he just needed to get his bearings first.

With no destination in mind, Black picked a random direction and set off. Perhaps he would come across someone who could give him answers before he killed them, just to savour the feeling. He'd been unable to enjoy killing anyone at the castle, due to the instinctual rage that drove him, although he could remember fighting a blue-skinned demon with white hair – he'd put up quite a fight until Black surprised him by impaling him under the armpit – he wondered if that demon survived…a rematch would be nice.

As he left the desert wastelands and approached something resembling green fields, Black felt weak energy signatures, no doubt of mortals and it amused him that humans were still alive…it'd give him another chance to wipe them out and re-enact the Zero Mortal Plan…although the plan itself felt hollow and worthless without Zamasu by his side…still, killing mortals in his honour would be a decent thing to do: Black felt he owed him that at least for failing the first time.

Ascending to the top of a small plateau, Black grinned as he looked upon a human city. Already, his right hand itched with the need to rip someone's heart out and he couldn't wait to instil terror and fear in the hearts of mortals once more. He floated into the city and immediately had to cover his ears from the screeching of an alarm wailing somewhere in the distance.

" _What an infernal sound. This must be the only protection the mortals have against me…fools."_

He grinned at the thought of causing mayhem, when a voice called out to him. "Halt!"

Black frowned when an anthropomorphic bison in a blue denim vest and red underwear appeared, however, the bison wasn't alone: several anthropomorphic creatures of various species surrounded Black, all wearing the same red underwear and blue vests.

"What in the nine circles of Hell are you lot?" Black sneered.

"I am General Bon," the bison replied. "And we are the Red Pants Army. Who are you, trespasser? You're not a demon and you don't appear to be a Tuffle…yet."

" _Tuffle? I thought they were extinct. Interesting,"_ Black thought and he snickered at General Bon. "The Red Pants Army? How…adorable. Tell me, Bonnie, what year is it?"

The bison growled at the nickname. "It's Age 999. You still haven't answered my question: who are you?"

Black noticed the menacing stares and growls he was receiving. Every single member was a weakling compared to him and he couldn't wait to demonstrate his power and see the terror in their eyes. "I am Goku Black. My friends, you have the distinct pleasure of witnessing my grand power, power that is far beyond anything your miniscule mortal minds can comprehend."

He grinned and tried to power up to Super Saiyan Rosé…tried to being a key word. Black frowned in confusion and attempted the transformation again…and once again, he failed, remaining in his base form. Why couldn't he transform? Was it something to do with Trunks? Or was Towa the cause?

"Kill him," General Bon grunted.

An anthropomorphic cheetah made the first attempt on Black – he caved the cheetah's chest in with a single blow. He was still powerful, but nowhere near as he used to be…in fact, Black reasoned that he had the same amount of power as when he first fought Goku in his Super Saiyan 2 form, if not more, thanks to his Saiyan Power. That said, despite the loss of power, it didn't take Black long to carve his way through the small militia force, bodies piling up around him with ease. Once he killed the last soldier, Black turned to Bon with a cocky smirk.

"You call yourselves an army, huh? Who were you hoping to stop with your pathetic power? I didn't even have to try. You're welcome to face me and join your comrades or you can flee and live longer; whether it's for five minutes or an hour is a different matter."

General Bon snarled. "You have any idea how long it took me to revive the Red Ribbon Army into the Red Pants Army? Years of planning and recruiting gone to waste because of you!"

"Why are you mad? I've done you a favour by weeding out the weak and useless. You should be thanking me. Now, Mr. Bon, are we going to fight?"

General Bon snorted in anger, smoke issuing from his nostrils and he bellowed and charged. He swung his fist and Black dodged with a grin. Bon slashed and swiped with his fists in fury, but Black darted around each strike and he booted Bon in the stomach. The road shredded and a building was damaged by Bon's body slamming into it; the bison grunted in pain, panting heavily from the blow he'd received. He knew straight away that his power was insufficient, but he had to save face for the Red Pants Army. How could they defend their home against the Demons and Tuffles if their leader ran away from a fight against one person? One person who had effortlessly massacred a highly skilled and powerful force that had proven themselves against previous opponents.

"Come on, up you get," Black motioned. "You do not impress anyone."

General Bon lunged and immediately used his Wild Typhoon, spinning around in a vortex of energy; Black blocked Bon's strikes, unaffected by the attack and when it ended, his hand whipped forth to rest two fingers against Bon's windpipe. The bison's eyes widened and he refused to even move, afraid of what Black would do next. His Wild Typhoon had defeated many an opponent, yet it had no effect against Black; it was an understatement to say that the bison was scared…he was terrified.

"How are you lowly mortals still alive after all this time?" Black wondered, his tone light like he was talking about the weather. "You have inconsequential power and yet you still thrive like vermin. It seems a god's duty is never done, but so be it. I will finish what I started."

He struck General Bon in the throat and the bison gagged and wheezed as he collapsed, struggling to breathe. Black gave him a look of disgust and raised his foot, prepared to crush the bison's head – an energy blast exploded nearby and Black leapt backwards, an annoyed look on his face.

" _Who dares?"_ he mentally growled.

When the dust cleared, he spotted them atop a small building: the demon witch, her loyal bodyguard and someone in a hooded, red robe with a strange mask.

"Ah, look who showed up," Black smirked as he dusted himself off. "And you've brought a friend, I see. Sorry, but I have no interest in being your test subject. That said, I do owe you for sullying my divine body…to think you would dare lay your hands on a god!"

"Please, you were nothing special," Towa replied, because she couldn't help but get under someone's skin. "If that's the best a god has to offer, then I am sadly disappointed."

For some reason, that comment stabbed Black's ego. Giving into such basic, animalistic impulses like that was weak and below him, a disgusting act reserved for mortals. He was a god…and yet…if he were to willingly engage in such vulgarity like a lowly, filthy mortal…as a god, he'd imagined he would excel at it…it was bad enough that he had actually done it and with a filthy demon, no less…how far could he fall…but she had the nerve to claim he'd been pathetic. Of course, the harlot could be lying, but nevertheless, he would make her submit before he snuffed out her life in retribution for contaminating his perfect body with her vile touch.

"If you weren't so repulsive, I'd consider giving you another go before I send you off to the afterlife," Black smirked. "As it is, you are a lowly mortal and I am a god and the two should not mingle. Your only purpose in my life is to perish!"

He flew straight for Towa – he noticed Mira preparing to intervene, but to Black's surprise, it was the Dark-Masked King who easily intercepted his punch and held him at bay.

" _What the hell?"_ Black wondered and the King's fist smashed into his jaw and he crashed into the road below. _"That had to be a fluke…he is not that strong…it's not possible."_

As Black slowly stood in the crater, the Dark-Masked King dropped to the ground and struck him in the gut, forcing the air from his lungs. Black's eyes widened in shock and Towa chortled.

"Oh dear, did I fail to introduce my friend? This is the Dark-Masked King, the personification of my master's power. So unless you wish to be beaten to a pulp, I'd suggest surrendering."

" _I surrender to no-one,"_ Black thought violently and he snarled as he struck at the Dark-Masked King.

The blow was dodged; the Dark-Masked King responded with several punishing blows that had Black on the back foot and rethinking his tactics. Towa found it amusing to watch the Saiyan get pressured by Mechikabura's conduit, using the fight as a form of retribution; beside her, she could feel the coiled tension radiating off Mira and she knew he wanted more than to join the fight and exact his own kind of vengeance, but was restraining himself. She almost wanted to give him the order, but watching the Dark-Masked King dominate Black was satisfying enough.

" _This is ridiculous!"_ Black thought when he took a brutal punch to the jaw and spat blood. _"How is this being pressuring me? I am a god, for fuck sake, and I will not let this clown-"_

Another blow to the face.

Snarling, Black leapt back and cupped his hands to the side, charging the Super Black Kamehameha. He grinned and unleashed the mighty energy wave – only for the Dark-Masked King to dodge it and it obliterated half the town. Towa and Mira had escaped to the sky to avoid the beam as the city burned and crumbled below them. Black lowered his hands, shocked and frustrated by his opponent: had he become so weak that he couldn't beat someone who wasn't too much stronger than Trunks? He looked at Towa with a fierce glare, knowing that she had to be the reason for his weakness and it filled him with rage. He wanted to make her suffer, but first, he had to get past the Dark-Masked King and her stupid bodyguard and in his weakened state, Black knew he couldn't stand a chance. It pissed him off, but he really had no other option but to retreat and try to regain his lost power.

"Well, as fun as this has been, we certainly must wrap this up," Towa commented. "Dark-Masked King, please finish him off. Our master will be delighted to meet Black."

" _Fuck that,"_ Black thought and he quickly raced through any ideas that could help him escape. The Dark-Masked King flew at him, prepared to deal the finishing blow, when Black finally found one and he placed his hands on either side of his face, fingers spread near his eyes. "Solar Flare!"

Towa and Mira were immediately blinded by the flash of light; however, the light reflected off the Dark-Masked King's mask and therefore had no effect, enabling him to land his blow – straight into Black's gut. He gagged with his lungs blown clean of air and another blow from his opponent sent him careening along the road. Desperate, Black quickly focused his energy and used the Kai Kai technique – disappearing before the Dark-Masked King could lay a hand on him.

In a rage at having suddenly lost his quarry, the Dark-Masked King expanded his power with a roar, levelling the city block around him, just as the Solar Flare wore off and Towa quickly discovered the predicament, a frustrated look on her face.

"Where is he? Where did he go?" she demanded. _"Mechikabura will not like this when we return to him empty-handed. Dammit! I didn't expect Black to be so difficult…no matter…there is always a next time."_

-X-

Light shimmered and Black appeared, collapsing upon the grassy field. He chuckled with contentment, ecstatic that he had managed to pull off the Kai Kai correctly and got the right location. The grass beneath his body felt just right, felt like perfection. Felt like home.

He was home once again, on the Sacred World of the Kais.

As he drifted off to sleep, content to rest and recover, Black thought about how he would regain his power and crushingly display it to the Demons when he conquered them. The last thing he saw before he faded away was Towa's smirking face and how he would make her pay.

-X-

"Report!"

The Machine Mutant didn't jump in surprise, having trained herself out of the natural instinct, thanks to her leader constantly appearing out of nowhere whenever he felt like it, allowing her to continue professionally. "One of the smaller cities was partially destroyed earlier today, my liege. Our scouts report that Towa and Mira were present, but they were not involved."

She drew up the video feed of the smoking city and her leader drew in a breath. "Ah, that's Nicky Town, one of the few human strongholds left. Interesting. Who else was involved?"

The scenery changed to show the main competitors. The Machine Mutant looked at her leader, watching for a reaction: his face twisted into ugly fury as he looked upon the image of Goku Black and he snarled. "Goku! That filthy Saiyan has somehow made his way here? Very well. I will expunge him from this universe and finally send the Saiyans into extinction where they belong!"

"It should be noted, my liege, that he soon disappeared from this battle and we have no reports on his whereabouts. Not for a lack of trying, though."

Baby Vegeta chewed this over for a moment. "Let me know the instant he reappears. We have some unfinished business, he and I, and this time, I will destroy him!"

* * *

A/N: Yes, Black is weaker here, but it's only temporarily. Otherwise, to me, it won't be much of a story.


	3. Battle of Nicky Town

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, everyone. I honestly wasn't expecting such a response, giving the absolute rarity of this pair, so I'm hoping to live up to expectations. So, here's a confession: I wrote Divine Retribution and Divine Lasso over on AO3. They're somewhat the basis for this story and I've been wanting to do a third part, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. More Black/Towa smut is always needed. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Still trying to get a feel for this story and get everything right.

* * *

Her stomach churned as she descended through the castle, but she hoped it was only trepidation; she knew it was too early for any signs of pregnancy (then again, who knew with God-enhanced Saiyan essence) and she had some hope that it wouldn't take place. Pushing that thought aside, Towa reached the basement and steeled her nerves as she walked inside, seeing the Dark-Masked King standing stoically beside her grandfather, but her focus was solely on the latter. She didn't want to disappoint him, but with Black slipping through their grasp once more, she didn't have high expectations of walking out unscathed.

"I sense your despair, child," Mechikabura announced. "You return to me empty-handed."

"I wish I could offer you more than simple apologies and false promises," Towa stated. "If anything, Demigra is leading the capture on Nicky Town, which will bring us a step closer to defeating the Tuffles."

"Bah, a pitiful consolation prize. Have the Demons fallen that far in my absence that you cannot deal with a race that was once wiped out by simple barbarians? Why is your focus so narrow, Towa?"

"My focus is grand and wide. I have many plans to restore the Demon Realm to greatness."

"Yes, and I suppose carrying the child of a Saiyan marked by a Supreme Kai will help us," Mechikabura stated dismissively. Towa felt her face flush, but she kept her cool.

"I am not pregnant."

"Perhaps not. It is too early to know. But if you cannot bring me this Goku Black, then perhaps this potential child you may have created with him will surely suffice."

"Anything for my Dark Lord," she replied without hesitation, because it was true. She would give up her own child with Black if it meant aiding her grandfather and help revive the Demon Realm. Hell, even if she had a child with Mira, she'd do the same. "Anything that will help make this realm ours."

"Good. Perhaps that will make you learn to stop disappointing me."

Towa gritted her teeth, gave a curt nod towards her grandfather and immediately left the basement. Frustration coiled around her like a blanket, darkening her mind with furious thoughts. She had never felt so disrespected before in her life and the thought of it flooded anger through her body and she knew there was one person responsible for her 'fall from grace': Goku Black. She felt humiliated and she wanted to repay him with vengeance; yes, she did enjoy the sex and part of her would do it again, simply for the thrill, but her grandfather was using the experience against her to mock and ridicule her, despite all her efforts to bring him back to life and restore him to his former, mighty power. It grated on Towa's nerves and she resolved to channel her aggravations from Mechikabura's mocking into revenge against Black. Right now, she desired nothing more than to make Black suffer for degrading her and making her look like a fool: the Time Breakers were spreading whispers amongst each other about what she'd done, deriding her behind her back. No matter, Mira would soon curtail that action.

Retreating to her quarters, Towa decided to ease her furious woes and wash it away, albeit temporarily. She walked into her luxurious and spacious bathroom, placing her staff within reach and she slowly disrobed: she caught sight of herself in the mirror, the blemish of Black's bite mark standing out against her skin. Conflicted thoughts raced through Towa's mind, thoughts of desire and passion making her inner thighs warm, mixed with the outrage of Black daring to think he had the right to mark her. Even now, it still burned, a warm buzz under her skin and Towa growled: she wanted the mark gone, she wanted to wash away Black's touch, wanted to erase all thought of him.

And yet, she still hadn't performed the spell, her scientific curiosity winning against her rationale.

Vexed, Towa stepped into her wide, marble shower, intent on doing just that. She had the hot water up higher than normal; the heat a pleasant beat against her skin like it was doing exactly what she wanted, washing away the stain of Goku Black. Her hands brushed over her stomach and she paused, contemplating the possibilities. Pregnancy didn't appeal to her, but Towa wondered what it would be like to carry a child in her womb, especially the child of Goku Black.

Would such a pregnancy be possible? Could Saiyan and Demon combine naturally? It was a thrilling prospect if it could happen, but one Towa was somewhat reluctant to carry out with her own body. It was satisfy her scientist side, but outside of that, it could potentially break her relationship with Mira and cast her down in the eyes of the Demon race.

She quickly lost track of time, consumed by her musings to the point that she barely registered the bathroom door opening and closing. A moment later and a hand touched her shoulder, causing her to jump and spin around in shock, clutching at her speeding heart thanks to the sudden surprise.

"Mira!" Towa reprimanded. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Naked like her, he cast his eyes downwards, as if in disappointment. "I'm sorry for scaring you. It's never been a problem before."

"I've got a lot on my mind," she said, turning her back on him. She didn't mean to turn him away, but she didn't him or anyone else around right now. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

"You've barely looked at me since…him."

Towa sighed as she shut off the shower and stepped out. This was not a conversation she planned on having with Mira right now, even though she knew it had to be addressed, because it was true: since her coition with Black, she'd been avoiding Mira in some capacity. Mostly, it was to do with her guilt: guilt that she basically cheated on Mira to survive and guilt that she actually enjoyed it…it was chewing her up inside; it needed to be addressed, but she wasn't in the mood for talking about her feelings right now, if ever. She was intent on pushing forward and put the copulation with Black out of her mind, but it seemed to be affecting her relationship with Mira in minute ways.

What was a woman to do?

"It's not my intent," Towa explained as she dried her body and redressed. "You have to understand, Mira, there is a lot going on. I want nothing more than to forget that I fucked Black for self-preservation; I regret that I did it, but I did it to survive. I never wanted to hurt you like that."

"I want to choke the life out of Black for what he did to you," Mira said.

"And you will get that opportunity, once we get our hands on him, but we need him for-"

"No, we do not," he interrupted and her eyes widened in surprise. "I do not want him to have another opportunity at you. We don't need him; I don't care what Mechikabura says. There are other ways for the old man to regain his power. Other warriors we can use."

"And who do you have in mind?" Towa questioned as she threw the towel at Mira, now that she was fully dressed; he caught the towel, but made no attempt to start drying himself. "Mechikabura wants energy on the same scale as Black…there's not a lot of people like that around."

"I would rather use them than have Black in the same proximity as you."

"Stop fretting, Mira. It's never going to happen again."

She left the bathroom and he followed her, the towel forgotten in his hand. "He defiled you."

"Yes, I am well aware of that," Towa replied. "Mira, my dear, do me a favour: channel your anger into something constructive. It doesn't do you any good to dwell on something you have no control over. We have work to do and we can't do that if you're going to allow yourself be blinded by your anger. If we see Black again, I promise you, you can have your shot at him."

Mira seemed to accept this for the moment and realised he was still wet. He began drying himself and Towa considered the conversation over. She was ready to leave the bedroom when he spoke again, his question stopping her in her tracks.

"Will you fall pregnant to him?"

Fuck, that was a loaded question.

Towa faced him, unsure exactly how to answer that. "No…the timing of my cycle isn't right," she lied; if anything, it was simply to placate her creation. She needed him focused and he couldn't do that if he was troubled about her actions with Black. "I should be in the clear. You have nothing to worry about, Mira." She strode forth and cupped his cheek, giving him a fond smile. "You still matter to me and you are the only important person in my life. Don't forget that."

She pressed a tender kiss to his cheek and stepped away, suppressing the burn of her lie. She had never lied to him until now and now she could only hope that there became some truth to it.

"Get dressed, Mira, we have work to do."

Much to her annoyance, she could still feel the sting of Black's teeth, a constant reminder of him.

-X-

This was below his station.

Demigra sighed in boredom, Robelu by his side, as the Time Breakers, along with Putine and Gravy, wreaked havoc on Nicky Town, their only opposition being the Androids of the Red Pants Army brought in to defend the city. It was a pointless effort and in Demigra's eyes, a minor nuisance. This was not the type of conquest he had in mind, nor was it one he should oversee: a lesser being should be commanding the Time Breakers here, not him. But, Towa had ordered him to supervise the takeover and while Demigra would normally be inclined to ignore her, since she was below him in status and power, the Dark Emperor backed her up…and Demigra had no intention of defying the Dark Emperor. He knew of Mechikabura's power and quite truthfully, it terrified the Demon Wizard; he had spent countless millenniums gathering power to reach the peak he was now, a Demon God, but his power still paled in comparison to Mechikabura. If anything, Demigra was serving him more out of fear than loyalty or anything else.

If Mechikabura were to regain his full power…the result was too frightening to imagine…

"Enough! Enough!" bellowed a rough voice, bringing Demigra out of his thoughts and an anthropomorphic bison staggered towards the Time Breakers, hands raised in surrender. "We surrender."

Demigra grinned widely. "Finally. Do you have any last words before we annihilate you?"

"I, General Bon, wish to pledge the allegiance of not just myself, but also the Red Pants Army, to Towa," General Bon announced as he knelt in submission before the Demon Wizard.

"How curious. From what I understand, you've been in opposition to Towa for some time now, utilising the Androids against the Time Breakers. Why the change of heart?"

Bon grimaced, trying to quell the inner rage at the loss of his pride for the surrender and the reason why. "Goku Black."

"Ah yes, Goku Black. Interesting that you would throw yourself at my feet because of him. And while I can see the benefit of having your Android force under my command, I wonder about your loyalty. How do I not know this is some desperate ploy by the Red Pants Army…excuse me while I laugh at that name…to attempt to rise through our ranks and attack us from within under the guise of devotion?"

"I promise to you and to Towa that I will be one hundred per cent loyal to your cause," General Bon responded. "I want a shot at Goku Black and if that means making a deal with the devil, so be it."

"Loyalty in the name of revenge and self-preservation. Intriguing," Demigra smirked. "Robelu, take note: the Red Pants Army is now part of the Time Breakers. They are ours to command and we are changing that stupid name."

Robelu nodded her agreement and shot a smirk at General Bon, who did his best not to feel unnerved: the secretary's smirk reminded him of a shark. However, the smirk was replaced by a frown when Robelu noticed something in the sky and Demigra noticed as well.

A Tuffle warship loomed overhead, huge and threatening as it filled the sky, its shadow blanketing over the Time Breakers and Red Pants Army. Demigra sneered. He couldn't understand why Towa and Mira had such trouble against the Tuffles, resulting in a war, especially given Towa's scientific expertise and Mira's strength; the Demon Wizard could only conclude that the pair were weak and not fit for the role of reviving the Demon Realm…Mira didn't even deserve the title of Demon King if he'd allowed the Tuffles to get as powerful as they are now.

Demigra sighed…it was up to him now.

A light shimmered, a being appeared on the road before the two forces and Demigra recognised him immediately from his perusal into the time stream whilst imprisoned in the Crack of Time: the person before them was none other than the legendary assassin Hit of Universe Six. How the Tuffles managed to capture him and put him under their control, Demigra had no idea, but Hit's presence was simply another mark in the column of Towa's failures.

Hit's skills were renowned and for him to be in possession of the enemy…

"By the order of Baby Vegeta, King of the Tuffles, you are to leave this city for him to command," Hit spoke, his eyes flashing red from the Tuffle influence. "Nicky Town belongs to the Tuffles now."

"How arrogant," Demigra said bemusedly. "You dare think we will simply leave this city for you to claim? Preposterous! Robelu, take note: Nicky Town belongs to the Time Breakers."

"Duly noted, sir," she replied solemnly.

"This is your only chance to flee. If you refuse to take it, we will use force to make you," Hit spoke.

Demigra scoffed. "You may have scored victories against Towa and Mira, but they are weak. You are facing a Demon God."

Hit smirked and light shimmered from the warship again. This time, Demigra saw why the ship was so massive, as the Phantom Majin known as Hirudegarn materialised before them. The Tuffle-possessed beast roared and gathered its energy together to unleash a gargantuan burst of fire from its mouth, sweeping over the ruined Nicky Town. Multiple Time Breakers and Androids were incinerated instantly and any buildings left were consumed and obliterated. Having flown clear of the Gigantic Flame, Demigra noted the intense heat of the powerful attack; even with his power as a Demon God, such an attack would have no effect on him, but he couldn't deny its destructive power. Again, he cursed Towa and Mira for being such failures, that they had allowed the enemy to obtain powerful beings for their side. No wonder the pair couldn't accomplish anything. How could they ever see themselves fit to rule the Demon Realm?

"Take him down," Demigra ordered.

"That might be unwise, sir," Robelu stated. "Our forces cannot withstand an attack from both Hirudegarn and Hit. A retreat is the better option."

"They cannot stand up to-" Demigra was cut off as he yelped in pain, pain bursting through his kidney.

Robelu spun around to defend her master and Hit struck her with the Flash Fist Crush, a flash of light emitting from the back of her ribs. Below, Putine and Gravy were unleashing their combined magic against Hirudegarn, attempting to stop the beast in any way they could, as the Tuffle warship opened fire, blitzing through the Time Breakers and Red Pants Androids while they were distracted by the Phantom Majin. Demigra snarled at Hit, infuriated at the agonising pain in his back and he fired a blast of energy from his staff; Hit dodged via his Time-Skip and used the Flash Fist Crush again. Demigra barely avoided the attack in time, the invisible blast aimed for his heart; in that moment, Hit closed the gap, used a Time-Skip to quickly freeze Demigra in time and struck him with a barrage of swift and deadly punches. The Time-Skip ended and the Demon Wizard cursed as he was blown away by the full force aftermath of the attack and he realised that any one of those blows could've potentially killed him; he recognised the deliberate avoidance at killing for what it was: a warning.

Another burst of the Gigantic Flame from Hirudegarn and ashes tumbled through the air, the remnants of its victims. The massive beast roared, unaffected by the ki blasts and magic striking its tough hide and its tail swept forth, absorbing several of its aggressors in one swoop, their energy adding to its already impressive power.

"Leave now if you value your life, otherwise, I will claim it," Hit spoke assuredly. There was no hint of arrogance or boastfulness, just plain, simple truth.

Was it worth the effort to keep fighting for his honour when Hit only needed one strike? Demigra did consider transforming, but he wasn't a fool; he could see that his forces were fighting a losing battle and right now, he wished he had heeded Robelu's words. Better to retreat and fight another day than to persevere and potentially lose, even if retreat did cost him his pride. The pain bursting through his body from the Time Skip Molotov was telling him that leaving was the wiser decision.

A red ki blast slammed into the side of the Tuffle warship, igniting a series of explosions within the giant vehicle. Demigra grinned as Hit saw the Dark-Masked King make his presence known on the battlefield. Immediately, he zeroed in on Hirudegarn and flew at the gargantuan beast, dodged one skyscraper-sized fist and landed his own blow on the monster's jaw. Hirudegarn bellowed as it was forced to take a few steps back from the powerful strike and the Dark-Masked King followed up with a basketball-sized orb of condensed dark red energy that caused a measure of pain for the Phantom Majin. Meanwhile, within the Tuffle warship, Machine Mutants hurried to contain the flames, as Baby Vegeta watched the shift of the battle with a look of annoyance. Usually, victory was assured once Hirudegarn was unleashed, but as it turns out, the Demons had gained some new allies.

"It would seem that I need to make an appearance," Baby muttered to himself. "Come, Hatchiyack, let's show these fools why the Tuffles are the mightiest in the universe."

The Tuffle Machine merely grunted in acknowledgement as it followed its master out of the warship. Baby looked between Demigra and the Dark-Masked King, trying to decide which one he should fight first. Hit went after Demigra once more and this time, the Demon Wizard was able to defend better against the assassin's Time-Skips, while Hirudegarn used Dark Eyes to avoid the Dark-Masked King's energy blasts, but couldn't land any blows due to the latter's speed, frustrating the monster.

"Hatchiyack, deal with the jester," Baby ordered, motioning to Demigra. "I'll take the clown."

The Tuffle Machine transformed into its Super form as it flew at Demigra; the Dark-Masked King narrowly avoided the Gigantic Flame and hurled an energy blast at Hirudegarn, before having to avoid an energy blast barrage courtesy of Baby. The Saiyan-Tuffle King smirked as the energy blasts rebounded towards their target and the Dark-Masked King swatted them aside.

"You're new. What circus did Towa dig you up from?" Baby sneered, but the Dark-Masked King remained quiet. "Ah, the silent type, huh? That's a shame. I like to hear my victims scream."

He fired the Big Bang Attack as a way to start the fight and the Dark-Masked King responded with a similar move of his own, albeit red and black. The two energies clashed for a brief moment and exploded, causing further damage to the ruined city below.

On the streets, General Bon was doing his best to see to his men, trying to evacuate them and any Time Breakers from the devastated city, as Putine and Gravy decided to help their former boss. Hatchiyack noticed them and he flew at the pair, striking Gravy with a vicious backhand, as Putine casted her Icicle Magic, trying to freeze the Tuffle Machine. Hatchiyack took the brunt of the attack without harm and then it flew at Putine to strike her with a mean right hook. Gravy tried to help by using his dark lightning magic, but copped a powerful kick to the gut in return and dropped limply to the ground. Demigra spotted his two underlings collapse to Hatchiyack's strength, but he couldn't remove his focus from Hit to worry about them – the assassin had noticed that his Time-Skips weren't working as effectively as before and was now changing up his attack strategy. The Demon Wizard fired the Bloody Sauce technique and was struck from behind by Hatchiyack's Revenger Cannon.

Meanwhile, more Tuffle warships arrived as reinforcement, while Baby and the Dark-Masked King continued to clash in the sky, the former narrowly edging out the latter in terms of power. Annoyed at his opponent's strength and resilience, Baby held his hands out to his side, gathered magenta energy in his palms and unleashed the Revenge Final Flash. In response, the Dark-Masked King copied the movement and unleashed his own energy wave, only this was black and dark blue. The two energies beams crashed into each other, igniting a power struggle. The Tufflelized Saiyan poured extra ki into his attack, overpowering the Dark-Masked King, forcing the red-hooded warrior to avoid the impending collision as the two energy waves were blasted through the atmosphere and into outer space.

"Well, you have certainly piqued my interest," Baby said. "Who are you? Something about you…seems familiar…no matter, I will make you part of my great empire."

The Dark-Masked King didn't reply; instead, he looked down at the raging battlefield, witnessing the Tuffle warships and Hirudegarn overwhelm the Time Breakers. With his opponent distracted, Baby sensed an opportunity and quickly fired off a Revenge Death Ball. The Dark-Masked King caught hold of the energy sphere, only realising its potent power too late and Baby cackled as he pushed his attack towards the ground. His opponent struggled to hold it off, struggled to contain the immense power and the Revenge Death Ball made contact, erupting into an immense explosion. The shockwave swept throughout the entire city, levelling anything that hadn't been destroyed yet and only Hirudegarn was able to resist getting swept off its feet, unlike the Time Breakers. Baby laughed in delight, only to spot the Dark-Masked King nearby Demigra and he frowned in confusion.

"How?" he growled.

"It appears that I've made a mistake in underestimating you all," Demigra spoke towards Baby. "But let it be known that this will be your only victory against me. When we cross paths again, you will all bow down to me."

The orb of his staff glowed and within seconds, the combined forces of the remaining Time Breakers and Red Pants Army, along with Robelu, Putine, Gravy, the Dark-Masked King and himself, all vanished from Nicky Town.

Baby grinned to himself in victory. Another city belonged to him and his plan to bring everyone on Earth under his control was inching closer to fruition. Sure, Nicky Town was now a raging inferno thanks to Hirudegarn and his own Revenge Death Ball, but as proven in the past, Baby could rebuild and repopulate the city with his loyal followers, another foundation of Tuffle domination. If he kept scoring victories at this rate, soon, he'll have defeated the Demons and possibly even have them under his control. Surely with the likes of Towa and Mira under his influence, there would be no stopping him or the spread of the Tuffle Empire across the entire universe.

Now, he just had to find Goku and finally have his revenge on the miserable Saiyan.

-X-

His mind a whirling cesspool of deranged thoughts and blurred images, Black slowly came to the realm of consciousness, his frazzled brain taking a moment to piece the puzzle together. It swiftly came to him: his breakout from the Demon Castle, his loss against the Dark-Masked King, his retreat and…his episode with the Time Witch. Black growled as he rolled onto his back, rubbing his eyes as if he could erase that disgusting memory.

He, a god, had lain with a mortal. A demon, considered the filth of the universe for their vile ways, only just below humans in terms of the worst mortals to exist. Yet another fault of the gods to be corrected and one that Black would happily carry out…if he weren't so weak.

He couldn't understand it: he had finally made Goku's power his own and achieved greatness beyond his own expectations and now, he barely had enough power to be considered worthy enough to carry out the eradication of mortals and finally achieve the utopia he had dream so much about. A perfect world.

Zamasu would be disappointed.

Black grimaced as he sat up. Lying around on the grass would not accomplish anything and if he had any hope of scouring the universe clean of the mortal filth, then he needed to regain his power.

" _The Saiyans may be a barbaric race, but I'd be a fool to ignore their strength and abilities. Isn't that why I took this body? To build my power to the peak of godly perfection? Hmm, Vegeta was an arrogant fool, but he had a point: I claimed Goku's body and adapted to his power, but I've never trained a day since. To see my dream realised, I will have to adapt and train this body."_

The thought angered him, that he would actually have to train in order to restore his power, but if it meant he'd get revenge against the Time Witch and her group, then he would do it. He would channel his fury into his training, to make sure that he would never be helpless again, that he would never be lost to the Saiyan's raging instincts and be tempted by a wench again. After all, he was Goku Black and he bowed to no-one, in any way or form. And if he couldn't achieve his Rosé form, then perhaps there were other secrets buried within his Saiyan body that he needed to learn.

Wasn't there a technique created by a minor god that amplified power?

The Kaio-ken, if Black wasn't mistaken on the technique's name.

He grinned devilishly to himself: while he loathed the idea of training to regain his power, with his Saiyan power, it wouldn't take him long to return to his former glory and unleash his vengeance. The universe would be cleansed of mortals and beauty will finally flourish for his perfect paradise. It was a shame that Zamasu wasn't here to see the dream fulfilled, but Black would do it in his name.

" _Enjoy your lives while you can, Demons, for when I return, you're going to wish you had left me to Zeno's whim. My vengeance, I will return upon you ten-fold and you'll be begging for a mercy that will never come, especially you, witch. You dare sully a god, you dare sully the universe, I will make you suffer for your transgressions."_

First things first however: he needed a cup of perfectly brewed tea. It'd been a _long_ day.

-X-


	4. Passage of Time

A/N: Again, thank you everyone for all the reviews, favourites and follows.

* * *

Gathering energy was not as easy as one might think, especially when there was a nuisance known as the Time Patrol that made it their mission in life to harass and interfere in Towa's plans. Even though it was minor setbacks, it was still annoying all the same, but she had come to expect their appearance whenever she ventured through the time stream in search of energy. Such as right now, in Age 779, when Frieza returned from the dead, gained his Golden Form and picked a fight with Super Saiyan Blue Goku. The plan was simple: place a spell on Golden Frieza and harvest enough energy to help her grandfather and with Frieza's immense power, even without any god ki, Towa reasoned she should be able to gain quite a bit. Perhaps even enough to satisfy Mechikabura.

At least, that was the plan, until the Time Patrol caught wind of her movements and decided to make an appearance.

"I can crush them," Mira offered from their position on the distant end of the battlefield, far out of sight and detection of the Z-Fighters. "It would take little effort and we can harvest their energy."

Towa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Mira, dear, I know you're strong, but you cannot tend with a God of Destruction and there is one sitting over there right now."

"The Time Patrol are a nuisance."

"Yes, well, at least they're good at something. Don't worry, my dear, the longer this fight goes on, the more energy we can collect and besides, I know just how to prolong it."

With a grand sweeping gesture of her staff, Towa opened a wormhole upon the battlefield, reaching through time and space to drag through a warrior to aid Frieza: none other than his own brother, Metal Cooler. Placed under the same spell as his younger brother, Cooler immediately engaged in battle with Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta, who was aided by a young sword-wielding Time Patroller: his granddaughter from another timeline, Azure…only he didn't know about the connection. Towa had been surprised, to say the least, to see her rival's daughter arrive with her small team, but it was to be expected: given his adaption of godly power, Trunks was restricted in his movements through time and could only really appear if the situation was dire and only if Chronoa gave permission.

It suited Towa rather fine, actually.

However, despite the amplifying power of the spell, Cooler was soon defeated and returned to his proper time, allowing Vegeta to lay a beat-down on Frieza and drive him out of his Golden Form, thereby ending the spell's effect on him too. Towa recognised the signs of what was about to happen next when the Saiyan Prince approached his defeated opponent to land the killing blow.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted and we have acquired quite a bit of energy," Towa announced. "But this is the part where we must go, lest we get caught up in Frieza's antics."

The tip of her staff glowed again and Towa stepped into the wormhole, Mira close behind her and they were lost to the rivers of time as Frieza detonated Planet Earth. Returning to their own timeline, Towa exited the wormhole with a content smile on her face – only to see an infuriated Demigra waiting for her, the Dark-Masked King by his side as a silent sentinel.

"Something wrong, Demigra?" Towa asked coolly, not really giving a single fuck.

"How in the Nine Circles of Hell could you have allowed the damned Tuffles to gain powerful warriors like Hit and Hatchiyack?!" Demigra demanded, losing any strand of composure he had remaining. "Not to mention Hirudegarn, who, for a mindless beast, is quite destructive."

"Oh, and here I was thinking a Demon God could handle all that," she replied breezily. She had energy to give to Mechikabura and she was not interested in Demigra's complaints one single bit.

"You act so blasé about it, Towa, but it's really disappointing. How can you see yourself as fit to break the seal on the Demon Realm when you've allowed parasites to control more than half the world?" the Demon Wizard continued to rant.

"That's enough," Mira growled aggressively, moving to stand between Towa and Demigra.

The Demon Wizard sneered at him. "Towa, tell your lapdog he is not impressing anyone and that he is nothing more than a science experiment designed to make you feel like you're not a failure."

Towa bristled; Mira attacked. Demigra swung his staff and clocked the artificial being clear across the lobby. Mira winced when he crashed into the wall, but his fury overrode the pain and he stood, except Demigra levelled his staff and pinned him in place with his telekinesis.

"How can you call yourself the Demon King?" he sneered at the weaker Android. "You are nothing more than a simple toy. Towa has brought shame to the Demon race with your existence."

"Let him go, Demigra," Towa growled, the tip of her staff glowing with dark energy. "You've had your fun, now let him go."

Demigra huffed and released his telekinesis, allowing Mira to regain full control of his own body. "You ever disrespect Towa again and I will tear you apart, Demon God or not," Mira snarled.

A haughty laugh was the reply. "Boy…you are nothing to me. I could destroy you and it would require no effort on my behalf. Now, run along and be a good puppy."

Mira snarled, but Towa touched his arm as a way to calm him down and a warning. "Ignore him, Mira. We have work that is more important than him. Let it go."

"Yes, you tend to your work while I clean up your mess. Nothing new," Demigra responded.

Towa glared at him, but she otherwise steered Mira away from the hostile territory, determined to focus on matters other than Demigra. The Demon Wizard's arrogance was one of the major reasons Towa couldn't stand him, not to mention his overall personality, but there wasn't much she could really do about it. He was a Demon God and held more power than Mira and her combined: only Mechikabura was stronger and she could only hope that once her grandfather returned to full strength, he wouldn't see a need for Demigra and eliminate him. Well, it was wishful thinking, but it kept Towa going…she just had to make sure that Demigra wasn't whispering in Mechikabura's ear, trying to turn him against her…the Demon Wizard was known for being a smooth talker.

"What brings you to my presence, child?" Mechikabura asked when Towa arrived in his room, clutching the energy absorption device.

"I have some energy for you, taken from Frieza."

"Ah yes, Frieza…yes, I know of him…he is a weakling and his energy is pathetic."

"This is from his Golden power, power that can contend with gods."

Mechikabura perked up at that. "Frieza, a god? Intriguing. Give it to me now!"

Towa jabbed the device into her grandfather and discharged the gathered energy; he sighed in contentment as power flooded his body. Once the device was drained, Towa removed it and Mechikabura gripped his staff as he slowly rose to his feet. Although he was leaning heavily on his staff, he was still standing without any signs of wobbling and for Towa, that was progress. Mechikabura sighed heavily and closed his eyes in contentment: power was slowly returning to him and it was a painfully long process, but it was better than being dead.

"I must have more of his power," Mechikabura said finally, opening his eyes at his granddaughter. "It may be of somewhat poor quality, not pure like that Goku Black, but it is enough in its own way. Where is Goku Black, by the way?"

"Unfortunately, we have no idea where Black is and as for Frieza, well, the Time Patrol are onto us and if we try again, we'll no doubt receive heavier resistance from them."

"Bah, Chronoa and her band of fools. They are nothing, Towa…don't let them bring you down."

"Regardless, they do have a God of Destruction on their side," Towa pointed out and an idea struck her. "Perhaps it's not Frieza we should be looking at."

"Who do you suggest then?" Mira asked.

She smirked devilishly. "His brother, Cooler. His presence in history is lesser known than Frieza's and therefore less guarded. If we brought him here, we can harvest his Golden energy."

"Except Cooler has never gone Golden and we cannot waste time trying to push him to the form. Not to mention the heavy risk involved in giving him that much power," Mira warned. "We cannot afford another incident like Baby…are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Baby is cunning and duped us," Towa reminded him. "At least with Cooler, we can actually place him under our control because he has no god ki and is not a parasite in another's body. Trust me, this will work. Once he has attained the form, then we can harvest his energy."

"Do it," Mechikabura ordered. "If it takes time, then so be it. I have been dead for millennia…I can wait, and if Goku Black shows up, then we can take his energy too. He takes precedence, but I will settle for this Cooler…as long as you follow through on this, Towa. I want no further failures."

"Yes, my Dark Lord, your wish will be carried out," Towa bowed.

She strode from the room with renewed purpose, an unnoticeable spring in her step as she made her way to her laboratory. Mira left to work out his aggressions in the training room and Towa had no doubt she'd have to send out recruitment flyers once he was done. Once she was in her laboratory, Towa began searching through history for the ripe moment when she could snare Cooler and bring him safely to the present: it was tempting to completely fuck with the timeline and rip either Cooler or Frieza from, say, the Namek Conflict and enhance their power, but that would bring the attention of Trunks and she had no desire to tangle with him, not with rumours drifting around that he had recently ascended to the equivalent of Super Saiyan Blue in his timeline: the less he was free to move through time and utilise his godly abilities, the better overall for Towa.

Despite the passage of time, she was still furious about the last time they met and he had destroyed Mira, so she'll continue to mess with time, but on a lesser scale to better mask her movements.

Putine limped into the laboratory, catching Towa's attention. "Have you been to medical?"

"They told me I'll be fine in a few hours after a good rest," the ice-based sorceress replied and she hesitated for a moment before voicing her concerns, unsure of how the Time Witch would response. "Towa, the Tuffles are getting too powerful. It's only a matter of time before they completely overwhelm us."

"I'm aware of it, Putine," Towa said. "I am working on ways to counteract them, don't fret."

"It's not me that's fretting…there are whispers travelling through the ranks…let's just say that Demigra has been quite vocal about his opinion on you ever since Nicky Town."

"Demigra can take his opinion and shove it. I have my own work I need to deal with and I do not care for a single word that Demigra spits."

"Towa…I know him," Putine said. "If the Tuffles keep defeating us, there is the possibility that he will attempt a coup and claim control of the Time Breakers."

"And where would you stand if it came to that?" Towa asked, looking at the smaller demon. "After all, both you and Gravy are former servants. If Demigra wanted to take over, would you join him?"

"I stand by you, mistress. I always will," Putine said vehemently.

"Hmm…I suppose it'll do," the Time Witch accepted as she continued to work, the smaller demon quiet by her side for a moment. "Now, are you up to the task of capturing a Frost Demon?"

"When do we leave?"

-X-

Securing Cooler had been harder than initially thought, for timing had to be absolutely critical, not unlike capturing Black. Towa shoved the thought of him aside as she and Putine seized Cooler's remains from the crumbling ruins of the Big Gete Star. He was virtually half a head, but Towa had the equipment to deal with that and once they brought the remains back to their time, he was immediately placed in the regeneration chamber. As the liquid worked their magic in restoring Cooler's body, Towa touched up a Time Breaker mask in preparation for his revival. Once everything was set, she decided to get some rest, wanting to be refreshed in time for Cooler's processing.

In hindsight, while rest was important, it hadn't exactly been a good idea at the time.

She only intended to have a nap, but the weariness of previous events caught up to her and she drifted off into a deep sleep…and her subconscious decided to play games with her.

 _She was in her laboratory, working hard to gather energy and keep ahead of the Time Patrol, when his hand touched her right hip, his breath hot on the nape of her neck. A warm buzz spread through her body at the contact and he nuzzled into her hair; she couldn't help but lean against his chest, wanting to keep working, but his body at her back was tempting her otherwise._

" _Miss me?" Goku Black whispered close in her ear and chills swept through her._

Towa twisted in her sleep, part of her wondering why she was dreaming of him when it should be Mira, the other part of her keen to see this dream out.

" _Hardly," Towa retorted and he snorted in disbelief, his hand spreading across her stomach, while the other caressed the valley between her breasts. "I have work to do."_

" _Do me instead…it'll be more fun."_

 _She wanted to ignore him, but it was a tantalising offer and whatever work she was doing lost its importance as he continued his ministrations, his lips upon her skin and she rolled her head back to grant him better access, her breath hitching._

Like her dream, Towa's breath hitched as she subconsciously rubbed her thighs together, attempting to quell the desire blooming in her groin.

" _Let's take this somewhere private…unless you want me to fuck you right here in your lab," Black growled, "I'll make everyone watch as I claim you so they all know that you're mine"._

 _Heat pooled between Towa's legs at the possessive want in his tone. Kami, how could she say no to that? He wanted her and she knew deep down that she wanted him as well. Her collar itched from his mark, but it was pleasant and she spun around in his strong arms, surprised and pleased to see his bare, muscular chest. There wasn't a single mark upon his flesh and Towa traced her fingers over his skin, feeling the burning heat and before she knew it, he'd captured her lips in a searing kiss._

Towa moaned in her sleep, her hand drifting towards her core as her legs fell open, her arousal staining the fabric of her clothes, but she was too lost in her dream to notice the dampness.

 _The background around them warped and became her room, a lavish four-poster bed with purple silk sheets awaiting them. They tumbled onto the bed, his larger frame covering her as he pressed heated kisses to her throat, his lower body settling comfortably between her legs, a strange sensation that was welcomed and…familiar…_

" _Say you want me," Black smirked cockily and in an instant, her clothes were gone, baring her before him and she couldn't help her grin at the lustful desire in his eyes._

" _What if I don't?" Towa teased, squeezing the bulge in his pants and he gasped against her skin._

" _I'll have to persuade you…talking is not the only thing I do with my mouth."_

 _Heavens, that thought alone shot a surge of excitement through her veins and she felt the need to have his mouth on her, tasting her, teasing her, driving her to higher plateaus of pleasure._

Her hand traced lazy circles atop her crotch through the tightness of her clothes and she groaned in pleasure, her body warm from the fervent dream.

" _Best you put that tongue for yours to good use then, Black," Towa spoke, her voice thick with need. "Show me how a Saiyan eats pussy."_

 _Black grinned wickedly as his face descended between her legs –_

"Towa, wake up!" demanded a harsh voice, cutting through the dream and Black's face evaporated as Towa quickly came to thanks to the abrupt end of the fantasy.

"Wha-" she startled and realised it was Mira who'd woken her and embarrassment flushed her body; that embarrassment increased when she detected her damp thighs, the scent of her arousal wafting through the air and again, the dread of having betrayed Mira flooded her once more.

"You were dreaming," Mira said matter-of-factly. "You were dreaming of him."

"Who?" Towa asked, feigning ignorance.

Her creation growled, as if the name itself left a vile taste in his mouth. "Black," he finally spat.

"What makes you say that?"

"You spoke his name as if it gave you…pleasure. He is a filthy animal…why are you dreaming of him?"

Irritation crossed her features, although whether it was from him interrupting what was starting to be a pleasant dream or the fact she dreamt of Black, she wasn't sure, but her annoyance was directed at her creation. "It was only a dream. Don't get too worked up about it. Now, is there a reason why you've barged in here and awakened me and not because you're jealous?"

Mira growled, keeping a lid on his fury. It would not do to lose his temper, despite her jab. "Cooler has been revived. Thought you wanted to know."

"Yes, thank you, I'll be there soon."

He left the bedroom and Towa remained on the side, conflicted feelings springing around inside her. There was the familiar sensation of guilt, even though she tried to reason that she shouldn't feel ashamed for a dirty dream just because it didn't involve Mira. It was only a dream, nothing more and nothing that had any bearing on the real world…at least she hoped it didn't.

Shoving all her guilt and frustration aside, Towa sought out another set of clothes to replace her soiled ones and strode from the room in determination to focus on work and nothing else.

-X-

Cooler was easy to control and he was placed into training against Mira to grow his power, while Towa flitted through time to gather small portions of energy to boost the Frost Demon, managing to stay a step ahead of the Time Patrol. It was basically child's play for her, a game she enjoyed playing and she'd been so caught up in her work, she hadn't realised a month had passed by until Putine casually told her one day. During that time, the Time Witch realised there had not been a single sign of Goku Black at all since the 'incident' and to be honest, she hadn't really given him much thought due to her exciting work. She did wonder what become of him, but figured she didn't care unless he made his presence known. But just because she didn't think about him during the day didn't mean he didn't invade her dreams, which was starting to become a reoccurring occasion. She knew she dreamt of him when Mira would be in such a foul mood, Towa couldn't be bothered to deal with him at times.

There was a small wedge between them and neither one wanted to admit it was widening.

Thankfully, Mechikabura remained patient with the experiment, possibly due to the fact he was sated by news of Demigra and the Dark-Masked King holding the Tuffle expansion at bay. No doubt emboldened by his victory at Nicky Town, Baby Vegeta had been sending the Tuffles out in force, attempting to claim more of the world in an aggressive action, even leading some of the battles himself. However, given Demigra's recent spate of victories at suppressing Tuffle movement, it meant he became more annoying than ever before, constantly boasting about his skills while ridiculing Towa and Mira whenever he got the opportunity, especially right in front of Mechikabura if he could. Towa simply resolved to ignore him as best as she could, rationing that her experiment with Cooler would give her grandfather the power he needed and secure her place in the new universe.

Of course, not everything would go entirely to plan…after all, it had been a month since her union with Black and while she had forgotten about it given her work consumed her life, a reminder reared its ugly head early one morning. Towa woke up to a bout of nausea and the next thing she knew, she was rushing to the bathroom to hurl her stomach contents into the toilet. As she gagged and vomited, there was a thought floating at the back of her mind that named her sudden morning sickness, but she brushed that thought aside, refusing to acknowledge it.

It couldn't be true, right?

"Is everything okay?" came Mira's voice from behind her and he tenderly stroked her hair as she retched; she wanted to push him away, to step out of her personal space, but she didn't have the strength as she heaved.

"I'll…be fine," Towa groaned, wiping her mouth with the towel he offered, her stomach seemingly settled for the time being. The vile taste of vomit lingered in her mouth and it made her want to hurl again, but she kept it down this time and shakily stood, aided by her creation. "That was…random."

She pointedly ignored his piercing gaze, but she couldn't stop his voice. "No, it wasn't. It's been a month-"

"I don't want to hear it, Mira," she said, striding from the bathroom and getting changed into her regular outfit. "Sickness in Demons can happen…it's simply rare and I must have caught a bug recently. There's nothing more to it."

He looked like he wanted to protest her claims, but instead, he nodded, letting it slide. Towa was thankful for it, although she had similar concerns and immediately left for her laboratory. However, the thought refused to leave her alone and continued to bug her as she worked, because it was a high possibility. If anything, simply to put her mind at ease and hope that that it was a rare bug, Towa took a small sample of her blood and placed it in the computer to determine the truth.

Apprehension ruled her to the point she was anxiously awaiting the results in lieu of working (even biting her fingernails), unsure of the outcome and uncertain of what she would do depending on the outcome (would she be disappointed if she was pregnant or not), that she didn't notice Putine approach her until the older demon spoke.

"Mistress, you look worried."

"Oh, do I now?" Towa snapped. "My entire life might change depending on this test."

"What test is that?" Putine started before she caught the smell of bile and could scent the change in Towa's fragrance and the aqua-haired demon's eyes widened in surprise. "Why, you're-"

"Hush! I don't want to hear-" she was cut off by the computer beeping, signalling the completion of the test and she froze with fear, not wishing to see the result in case it was true. She couldn't bear the thought and yet, she had to know. With a hesitant hand, Towa tapped on the results and her breath caught in her throat as her world came crashing down around her.

'POSITIVE RESULT FOR PREGNANCY,' the computer read.

"No, no, no, that can't be right," Towa muttered in frustration, despite a part of her that knew it to be true. After all, the timing had been right and she never cleaned herself out after the union, like she had done multiple times with Mira. "There has to be a mistake."

"The computer is not wrong," Putine said. "I can smell it."

"No, it's fucking wrong!" the Time Witch vehemently cried. "I'll run the test again. It's a mistake."

Putine remained silent, knowing that this was important to her mistress and that it would be best to simply stay out of her way until she was satisfied with the results. Towa ran the test again and sure enough, received the same outcome. A third test produced the exact same answer.

"Fuck, what have I done?" Towa questioned, more to herself. "This shouldn't be happening."

"I take it that the baby is not Mira's?" Putine queried.

"Dammit, what am I going to do? Mira is going to be outraged."

"We can get rid of it?"

Towa glared at her, already feeling a strange sensation of protectiveness towards her gestating child. "No, that won't happen…no, this child is a hybrid of Demon and Kai-infused Saiyan…the potential power alone…Mechikabura would want this child…and I will give it to him."

"But…what about Mira?"

"The truth will hurt, yes, but he will get over it once he sees the bigger picture. In fact, by having this child, I will have no need for Goku Black at all, not when his child will provide the power we need."

"Mistress, if the Tuffles find out-"

"They won't, Putine, because I have a plan. I have no desire to waddle around here for the next nine months, not with Demigra breathing down my neck and the Tuffles inching closer to the citadel. No, I will give birth in another time, far from everyone else. All I require is your help."

"Ask and I will assist," Putine vowed.

"Good. Now, let's go before Demigra finds out."

Towa deleted the results from the computer (not that Demigra ever used the technology, but one could never be too careful) and as she searched for the right place in history, Putine rushed through the castle to gather any necessary items and equipment they would need.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Towa nearly jumped out of her skin, caught unawares as Mira gazed at her with eyes that bored straight through her. "Yes, Putine and I are going to do a small reconnaissance mission. Nothing major, we'll be back before you know it."

"Are you okay…from earlier?"

Should she tell him and risk his wrath or spring the news on him when she returned with a baby in tow and risk his wrath? Either way, it wouldn't pan out well for Towa, so she took in a deep breath and not for the first time, she lied to him.

"I'm fine. It was just a bug. I should be fine in a couple of days. Don't worry about it."

Mira nodded and she wondered if he believed her lie or not, given the way he was still staring at her. After what felt like an eternity, he simply nodded and walked away. Towa released a low breath, as Putine returned with a bag of equipment. With an affirming nod, Towa settled on a time and opened the time machine, letting Putine go through first before following her. However, just before she stepped into the machine, Towa cast a look at Mira's retreating back.

" _Forgive me, my love."_

Then, she stepped into the machine and was hurtled through time.

-X-

Gingertown was a thriving metropolis of Tuffle and Machine Mutant activity. One of the first cities to be claimed by Baby after a hard-fought battle against the Time Breakers nearby, it was also one of the first cities the Red Pants Army tried to reclaim through guerrilla warfare and would've succeeded if not for Baby succeeding in bringing Hit under his control. With the assassin in his ranks, Baby was able to put a stop to the Red Pant Army's tactics and repelled them with ease. Since then, Gingertown became a major city of the Tuffle Empire and an important stronghold that signalled the might of Baby's powers, for it and the neighbouring West City were the site of the Machine Mutant factory, creating soldiers to fill Baby's ranks.

Despite it being a regular target for Demon incursions in their attempts to weaken the Tuffle army, Gingertown was a relatively peaceful city…until Goku Black suddenly appeared in the sky above the city, a malicious grin on his face as he surveyed the population below.

" _My training is complete and it's time to right the wrong of the gods and restore justice and beauty to the universe. Now, let the eradication begin."_

-X-


	5. Arrival of the Future

A/N: Thank you again for the reviews, faves and follows. It makes me happy to know that you are enjoying this story and I hope I can keep delivering each chapter. That said, Zamasu won't be in this story...I don't really see him as interesting as Black (even though they're virtually the same person), so I have no plans for him at all.

* * *

Gingertown was in ruins. A Black Kamehameha tore through a suburb, fattening the raging inferno that consumed the city. Non-combative Tuffles fled for their lives, while the Machine Mutant and Tuffle soldiers engaged their aggressor, desperately trying to protect their home to no avail.

" _Fools,"_ Black grinned sinisterly as he cut a bloody swath through the resistance with the Aura Slide, dodging their useless attacks with ease and carving their bodies limb from limb. _"They truly have no idea what they're up against. They are ants fighting the sun."_

Heavy artillery made their presence known, firing massive blasts of energy at Black. He took the shots head-on, allowing them to shoot them, allowing them to think they had a chance at stopping him…he burst out from the smoke and destroyed the tanks, leaving nothing behind but shattered metal and shredded bodies. They would all fall to him…there was no place the mortals could hide, no matter how far they scurried like rats…or how deep for that matter. With the militia destroyed, Black took to the sky and dropped a pair of energy spheres like they were bombs in an air raid. They struck and erupted into massive explosions, tearing throughout the city. He cupped his hands together and unleashed a powerful Kamehameha that obliterated Gingertown, wiping out every vestige of the Tuffles. As he gazed upon the smoking ruins, he had to wonder how the Tuffles came back and who was their leader now…after all, he knew that they had been wiped out by the Saiyans…were the Demons responsible for their revival?

In the end, he figured it didn't matter: they were mortals and like all mortals, they were bearers of sin and therefore had no place in the universe. A month of training in solitude hadn't done much to change Black's philosophy…if anything, it strengthened his resolve: mortals had corrupted the universe with their violent, arrogant ways and in his attempt to correct the sins of the gods, he had been defeated by them…Trunks flashed in Black's mind and his rage intensified…not to mention his capture and subsequent violation at the hands of the Demons. That witch had something to do with his power loss and while he had regained a measure of it during his training, his godly powers were still slowing returning. He needed to fight, he needed the Zenkais to return to his former glory…the soldiers of this town weren't worth the effort and so he barely broke a sweat slaughtering them.

Perhaps if he met that Dark-Masked King and had a rematch…that could bring him closer to his godly status, even though Black was confident he could defeat everyone on this planet without the need to tap into his god kid or assume the Rosé form…but it would surely help to regain those powers again. He had no idea of the status of Gods of Destruction in this timeline and if they were alive, then he had no desire of face any of them until he could regain his powers and even then…

Drifting down into the crater that had once been Gingertown, Black surveyed the crumbling ruins with a gratified smirk, pleased with his handiwork. It felt glorious to kill, to destroy, to _purge_ once again – it satisfied his urges and honed his killer instincts as he sought to purify the universe…not that his killer instincts needed honing, but it felt nice to get back in touch with them after a month away. However, there was another problem that had escalated during that month that he'd tried to desperately to ignore, but it was there all the same…other kinds of urges…the lustful kind.

It sickened Black that he felt these desires, that he could be so disgustingly mortal-like…he was a god and far beyond such primal needs, for that sinful nature could only drag him down into the filth where the mortal vermin crawled. And yet, at times when he would relax, those urges struck him and they infuriated him, spurred his next intense training session, but no matter how hard he trained or how much he meditated, he couldn't get rid of them and for that, he blamed _her_. The blue-skinned devil had done something to him, had awakened this craving and infected his body with lust. He hated it, hated her and the thought of gaining vengeance against her consumed him: he wanted to restore the universe, but she was his main focus and once he got his hands on her...

Black stopped. He wasn't alone and he looked at the sky with a grin: the Dark-Masked King hovered, General Bon, Mira, and the mind-controlled Cooler by his side.

"Ah, I'm sorry, but you're a little late to the show," Black called out. "Do you like what I've done with the place?"

"So, General Bon, you've been talking about how you want a shot at Goku Black," Mira said, doing his best to restrain his rage at the sight of Black. "This is your opportunity. Go for it."

General Bon grimaced. He had been training when he could, but most of the time, he was out with Demigra and the Dark-Masked King, leading raids against the Tuffles and constantly getting thrown into fierce battles, like they were testing his loyalty. He'd grown stronger, but he felt that he still wasn't strong enough to face Black…then again, he had no say. If they said jump, he asked how high. Steeling himself, General Bon powered up and charged at Black with a vicious punch – Black neatly dodged and casually elbowed Bon in the back, knocking him out cold.

"Hmph. As expected," Mira indifferently stated.

"That was shit," Black said and he flung his hand out and blasted Bon without looking. "I sincerely hope that wasn't your best, but it's not like the rest of you are any better."

"Big talk from someone who ran away from the King," Mira said. "You are not that impressive yourself. Mechikabura is wasting his time if he thinks you are the right source for him."

"How's your girlfriend? Is she still thinking of me?" Black sneered. He may hate that he'd fucked her, but he was perfectly happy to use it against Mira, just to see him twitch. It didn't fail.

"Let's see how smart you talk after Cooler tears your tongue out," Mira growled, barely keeping hold of his composure.

"A Frost Demon? Terrifying," Black said as Cooler flew at him and he blocked the punch. "Ah, I can feel your strength. It's greater than the talking goat, but pitiful compared to me."

He slammed a blow into Cooler's mid-section and delivered a powerful kick to the side of Cooler's head. The Frost Demon skittered through the ruins of Gingertown, as the Dark-Masked King decided to join the action, hurling an energy blast at Black. He flew into the sky to avoid it and narrowly stopped the King's fist in time. Mira appeared behind Black and prepared an energy blast, but got clobbered with the King's body. Cooler returned to the fight and scored an elbow to the solar plexus, wiping all the wind out of his lungs and the Frost Demon gagged behind his mask. Black struck him with a backhand and pressed a Power Ball to his chest, blasting him away.

" _He's gotten stronger,"_ Mira thought as he watched Black and the Dark-Masked King clash. _"I know the potential of Saiyans and while he may not be a true Saiyan, he can still get stronger. I cannot allow that to happen…I cannot allow him to be a threat to Towa again…I must destroy him."_

The King kicked Black away and fired the Big Bang Crash; Black dodged and shot forth at his opponent; Mira intercepted and took the Aura Slide, a gash appearing in his armour. He swiped at Black and got belted aside, but that opened Black up to the King's attack and this time, he did connect with the Big Bang Crash. Black plummeted into the outskirts, where the energy blast detonated and created a huge column of smoke; he walked out, unharmed and smirking as he dusted off his clothes.

"Well, well, well, I think I felt that one. Hm, that means I'm not quite there yet, but no matter," Black detailed. "There is some fun involved here, enough to fuel my ascension. That said, I think someone is holding back. Let's see the depths of a Demon's power."

He raised both hands to the sky, gathering energy from the surrounding area, calling it from the life of the environment, to pool into his palms. His pure heart allowed him to gather the spiritual energy, as Mira fired several blasts at him in an attempt to stop the attack; Black took to the sky, despite his focus on controlling the power and a red sphere of energy formed in his hand. He grinned at his creation of the Spirit Bomb and he turned his attention to the Dark-Masked King; he hurled it with frightening speed and the Spirit Bomb slammed into the King, detonating with immense power despite the small size. When the smoke cleared, the Dark-Masked King's cloak was charred and torn and a fragment of his mask splintered and broke away from his left eye.

"Hm, he's stronger than he looks," Black noted.

The Dark-Masked King roared with renewed power flooding into him from Mechikabura, who'd sensed his conduit's damage and was now reinforcing him. The mask shattered completely and the red cloak ripped away from the King's body, revealing a Saiyan instead of a Demon, despite his red pupils and black sclera. Adorned in black clothing with the same symbol of Mechikabura, his goatee and hair pitch black (the latter featuring a single red blade of hair), the possessed form of King Vegeta powered up further, boosted by his master and he fixed Black with a sinister grin, giving him the look of a deranged maniac than a regal king.

"How interesting," was all Black got to say before King Vegeta drilled him with a punch. _"The speed! The power! This isn't right. He is a mere Saiyan and yet the Demonic power that fills him…he needs to die."_

Black tried a counterattack with the Aura Slide, but King Vegeta weaved around the ki blade and drove home his strikes with ease, turning the tables upon his opponent. Mira hung back, content to watch the Saiyan King dominate his opponent, feeling a measure of satisfaction at seeing Towa's defiler get his comeuppance; he noticed Cooler observing the battle, waiting for orders. Mira commanded him to stand down and the Frost Demon complied.

King Vegeta deflected Black's fist and punched him in the chest, then the face and hooked a side kick into his torso that pin-wheeled him through the air. Black caught himself, surprised at the King's power; luckily, he had a trick up his sleeve and he'd been working on it for the past month to make sure that he could do it properly when the situation called for it. After all, if a mortal could master this technique of the gods, then it stood to reason that he, a god in said mortal's body, could do the same.

"That was a nice little offence you got in," Black sneered. "But now it's my turn. You are about to witness the work of the gods and you will realise how hopeless your mortal cause is against me. Ready? KAIO-KEN!"

The signature red aura burst to life around Black's body and he grinned as he felt his power double with the technique. An eye blink later, he had closed the gap and planted his boot deep into King Vegeta's gut, making his eyes widen in surprise at the power he was forced to receive. He was suddenly kissing the dirt, pain ringing in the back of his head and he slowly stood, as Black appeared before him, clocked him with a right hook and King Vegeta ended up in the Gingertown ruins.

-X-

"My liege, my liege, we have a situation," the Tuffleized demon soldier cried as he burst into the throne room, appearing both parts anxious and eager as he bowed before the throne.

"What is the problem?" Baby demanded.

"We've lost contact with Gingertown…I fear that it has been lost."

"What?! That is impossible. The force there is enough to fend off any Demon attacks. How is that possible?"

"That's the other part of my message: the report from Gingertown while it was under attack indicated that Goku was the one responsible. If we hurry, we can still capture him."

"Send Hit," Baby ordered. "I want Goku brought here; I want him kneeling at my feet in the Imperial City so I can finish what I started decades ago. Go now. I have an execution to prepare."

-X-

Light shimmered in the laboratory, signalling a return from time travel, as it faded away to reveal Putine and Towa…however, they didn't come back alone. The Time Witch held a large bundle of wrapped cloth in her arm and upon seeing it, Demigra frowned in confusion. This was something strange and unexpected, he mused; he was rather curious about what Towa was holding. Then, the bundle shifted and a shrill cry rang out, prompting Towa to give the bundle a gentle jiggle as she tried to soothe the occupant.

Demigra burst out laughing.

"A baby, Towa! You've given birth to a child? Oh, isn't this interesting?" the Demon Wizard crowed, while Robelu simply gazed at the bundle with detached interest. "Why didn't you tell us you and Mira were expecting? Ohhh…that's right…the child isn't Mira's, correct?"

"Not that it's any of your business-" Towa glared at him.

"Ohh, but it is, my dear Towa. You have had a child; it's everyone's business…especially considering who the father is. I am correct in deducing the father is Goku Black?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Yes, the birth of a half-Demon, half-Saiyan child is not an important matter at all in any shape or form," Demigra retorted. "You've fallen further than I ever thought possible, Towa. First, you are a failure, then you build yourself a toy in the form of a husband because you are that hopeless and now you've disgraced the Demon race by giving birth to the child of a Kai masquerading as a Saiyan."

"Are you done?" Towa apathetically asked, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes at his tirade. "I have things to do."

"Yes, motherly duties call, I suppose. So, what are you going to tell Mira? It's not like you can keep it a secret from him and he may be dull, but I'm sure he'll work out that the child is not his. If not, well, I guess you can keep playing pretend with him. It's not like Goku Black will be a devoted father."

Towa scowled at him, as the baby squalled again and she gently rocked her. Demigra grinned widely at the sight before him: Towa, the Time Witch, genius scientist and younger sister to the feared former Demon King, Dabura, now reduced to being a mother to the brat of the Saiyan-Kai maniac.

"I can't wait to see what happens when Mira finds out," Demigra smirked. "Robelu, let me know the instant Mira returns…I want to see his reaction. It'll be priceless!"

"Will do, sir," Robelu said as she followed her master out of the laboratory. "I'll even record it for you."

"Excellent!"

Towa fumed at their retreating backs and thankfully, her baby was starting to calm down, and she wondered if it were to do with Demigra's presence, the effects of travelling through time or both. Regardless, the Demon Wizard did have a point: Mira was bound to discover the baby's existence and there was no doubt in her mind that he would be furious once he realised he wasn't the father, especially after she lied to him about potentially falling pregnant to Goku Black. It was a situation she wasn't looking forward to in any way, but there wasn't much she could do about it: the damage had been done, her child had been born, a hybrid of Demon, Saiyan and Kai with a massive well of potential power once the baby grew up. She hoped that Mira would understand her scientific reasoning behind her decision, but she knew that was mostly a lost cause. This child existed to advance her research and experiments, irrespective of the possible consequences, and perhaps even gain a measure of revenge against Goku Black…even though he gave her this opportunity.

The entire pregnancy had been long and arduous, but Towa was thankful she had Putine by her side to help keep her sanity throughout the nine month ordeal. Her body had changed in ways she didn't like in order to accommodate the impending arrival, but she managed to rationalise it away as a necessary act, that although she might be scorned for mixing with another race like this, the child would serve as the catalyst to bring the Demon Realm back to its former glory. When the labour began, Towa cursed Black for inflicting this upon her and while she was at a rare loss of what to do, thankfully Putine was able to step in and assist her, guiding her through the birth process and when the newborn was placed into Towa's tired arms, she knew all the pain and suffering had been worth it. The baby was powerful and the catalyst and despite the desire to withhold any kind of attachment to the newborn, Towa felt a strange, unexplainable feeling brimming inside her at the sight of the baby. She knew she would do her best to protect and care for the child through its life.

Leaving the laboratory, Towa made her way towards Mechikabura's room and he perked up with interest at her arrival, especially when he spotted the bundle in her arm and a wide grin appeared on his gnarled face.

"Towa…you've returned…and you've brought something back with you…or should I say, someone?"

"How did – never mind. Yes, my Dark Lord, I've returned," Towa said as she knelt before her grandfather. "And yes, I have brought you a gift. Behold, my daughter, Eikyu."

She unwrapped the cloth to reveal the small baby and gently held her up for Mechikabura to see. The little girl had her mother's skin colour, although lightened with influence from her father, and she had a small tuft of white hair and wide, violet eyes, just like Towa. If it wasn't for the fact that he could smell the Saiyan blood in her, Mechikabura would say that baby Eikyu was virtually a clone of Towa. But, ah, his grin grew wider, if possible, then he sensed the well of power within the baby. A strange combination of Demon and Saiyan with a hint of Kai, but it was glorious power nonetheless and the ancient Demon Emperor was excited to see her potential once she reached adulthood. Oh, the power she could display…the possibilities she could achieve.

"My, my, Towa, I believe I have to congratulate you," Mechikabura stated genuinely. "While a small part of me is disappointed that you've bred with a Kai, even one wearing the body of a Saiyan, you've thought outside the box and delivered a precious gift to me in the form of this child. Why, this calls for a celebration. This baby will lead us to glory and the Demon Realm will be revived once more. Ah, to what need do we have for her father? Perhaps he still could be of use in another way."

"Has there been anything on Goku Black while I was gone?" Towa tentatively asked. She wasn't sure she wanted to know anything about him, even though she'd given birth to his daughter…like he would give a damn about Eikyu.

"He has returned. Mira and the King ventured out to capture him, to bring him to me, but now that you're back with a child in tow, I suppose they can be recalled for the celebration. Goku Black can wait for another day."

Towa nodded in agreement as she tucked Eikyu back into the cloth. She wasn't looking forward to Mira's reaction, but the damage had been done and she would have to deal with the outcome, no matter how ugly it got.

-X-

Black was enjoying himself.

He swatted the reinvigorated Cooler aside like he was a mere fly, dealt a punishing blow to Mira's abdomen – and narrowly deflected King Vegeta's fist in time. The former Saiyan King growled and Black realised that his power level was increasing, already starting to match his Kaio-ken.

"You're fuelled by dark magic," Black stated. "You're getting stronger thanks to whoever your master is, but it's a futile effort. I am a god and you are nothing compared to me. Watch. Kaio-ken times three!"

His own power level tripled, Black smashed King Vegeta in the jaw with a vicious punch. Blood flew and Black slammed home a powerful blow to the Saiyan's chest; he was sure he heard a rib crack. Another violent punch smacked King Vegeta through the air and in the meantime, Black had zoomed at Mira and unleashed a barrage of punches; the Demon Android was helpless against such a vicious assault and it was only when King Vegeta blasted the Dark King's Flash that Black finally let up, only to avoid the energy wave. The Saiyan-Kai wore a cocky grin as he glanced at both opponents.

"Are you finally realising just how outmatched you truly are? Do you finally understand that you cannot stand on the same pedestal as me? I am leaps and bounds beyond you and-"

"Shut up," Mira interrupted. "You talk too much."

"Yes, if I were a simple-minded cuck like you, I'd be quiet too," Black sneered.

The Demon Android growled, falling again for the taunt, but King Vegeta flung his arm out to stop any attempt at an attack. Mira frowned, but then he heard it as well – the mental callout from Mechikabura telling them to return to the castle. He wanted to refuse, wanted to rip Goku Black limb from limb for what he'd done to Towa, but orders were orders and as King Vegeta vanished from the scene, Mira snarled at his nemesis.

"This isn't over," he growled before he vanished as well.

"I hope not," Black smirked once they were gone, stopping the Kaio-ken. "I don't want the fun to be over just yet."

He perked up when he sensed an impending energy source. Actually, several…no…make that hundreds. Confused, yet intrigued, Black watched as several Tuffle warships flew into view, all taking up position with their focus locked on him. He chuckled in amusement, as Hit materialised.

"So, you're Goku," the Tuffleized assassin spoke. "My king has ordered your capture."

"Your king can fuck off."

"I don't know what that means, but I'll take it as a form of resistance. He has ordered me to use force if I must and I believe the situation calls for it."

Black grinned as he slid into a stance. His Saiyan blood was still pumping from the previous fight, his instincts craving a challenge and he would take on anyone to sate his violent thirst. Hit kept his hands in his coat pockets, closed his eyes – and Time-Skipped. Black, not anticipating such a manoeuvre, was caught off guard when Hit drove a fist into his chest. Pain exploded in the area as Black's heart stopped for a split-second...dizziness swarmed Black's mind and he didn't see the next strike until it was too late, a Flash Fist Crush that hammered straight through Black's spleen and the pain that seized his body as a result was absolutely crippling. Another Flash Fist Crush crippled Black's lung and his brain screamed against the assault; this warrior could not be stronger than the Dark-Masked King (or himself for that matter) and yet here he was, delivering incapacitating strikes within a fraction of a second, dealing heavy damage to Black's vital organs.

"What…the hell?" Black panted, agony gripping his body and he tried to lash out at Hit.

The assassin calmly parried the punch and slammed a knife-edged chop to Black's throat. He choked and instinctively grabbed his injured windpipe, dark spots bursting before his eyes. Hit Time-Skipped once more and struck with another knife-edge chop, this time against the side of Black's neck, hitting just the right nerve. The blow was enough to instantly knock Black unconscious and Hit caught his body before he fell.

"Resistance was futile. You will see the king now."

Meanwhile, down in the ruins of Gingertown, Cooler watched Hit cart the comatose Black towards a Tuffle ship and soon, the fleet turned and left. His mask had been unknowingly broken by Black in the flight, allowing him regain control over his mind and body, freed from the machinations of Towa. He was free to resume control over the universe, with no annoying little brother or overbearing father to stand in his way. That said, Cooler knew he wasn't a match for the full power of the Demons or this strange variant of Goku and if he wanted the title of Emperor of the Universe, he need more power. Strength was the one true guarantee and the only deciding factor in life; without strength, he could not assure his place in the cosmos.

" _I will return and I promise a vengeance unlike that which has never been seen before,"_ Cooler promised as he flew towards the atmosphere. _"I will become the strongest in the universe and no-one, not even the Demons, will stand in my way. All will bow before me or perish."_

-X-

Eikyu was fussy and Towa could only contribute it to the tension in the room that escalated as soon as Mira arrived and saw the baby. She'd been dreading this moment ever since Eikyu's birth, but she refused to hide her daughter away just for Mira's sake. What was done is done and there was nothing Towa could do about it and she would simply refuse if she could: Eikyu was a precious gift and Towa felt no shame whatsoever about bringing her into the world.

"What…is this?" Mira questioned, motioning to the baby, while King Vegeta stood silently nearby, studying the situation. The Demon Android could smell the scent of Saiyan upon the newborn and it made his blood boil.

"Hm, this is going to be exciting," Demigra grinned, observing the pair. "A lover's quarrel because of a cheating whore…it's delicious."

"You told me you would not fall pregnant to him," Mira continued with a growl, his rage slowly overtaking him. The fact that his wife had given birth to _Black's_ child: it cut him, like she had ripped his heart out and stomped it on the floor. "You told me, yet you lied to me and now, you've had his spawn. How could you?"

"Mira, you have to understand, this child could be the answer," Towa tried to placate him, but she heard Eikyu's whimpering and she sought to end the fight before it could start. "I know I was wrong in going behind your back with this, but it's something that had to be done."

Mira sneered. "That child…is an abomination."

Demigra had to resist the urge to cut in and remind the Demon Android of his own creation, but he was enjoying the spat between the two, knowing it would intensify and so, he held himself back.

Barely.

"I'm not going to argue with you on this. It's happened," Towa said, feeling her protective instincts rise as Eikuy's whimpers turned into tears, the tension too much for the newborn. "She will be the Queen of the Demon Realm someday, the answer to all of our hopes and dreams."

"That's a grand idea, Towa," Demigra finally interrupted. "But that's simply wishful thinking…I hate to agree with Mira, but he is right: this child is an abomination and unfit to be a queen."

"Demigra!" a voice barked and everyone jumped in surprise as Mechikabura hobbled into the room, while King Vegeta snapped to attention. "Silence," he ordered and the Demon Wizard immediately bowed and stepped out of his path, desperate to create space between himself and the Demon Emperor, lest he suffered worse than a reprimand. "This child is the answer. We have a celebration to prepare to welcome this child with the proper traditions and rituals, for she will lead us to glory."

Towa smiled her thanks at her grandfather while she rocked Eikyu to try and stop her crying; when he shuffled away to snap orders at Putine, Gravy and Robelu, she looked at Mira. He was supercilious, rage radiating off him like an aura, and she wanted to plead for his forgiveness, but she knew that it would never happen. The damage had been done, she had deeply wounded him with her treacherous act and nothing could ever repair the massive chasm between them. She had given birth to Goku Black's child in order to further her goals and broaden her experiments, but it had come at a huge cost to her. The thought of losing Mira ached within her, given that it had always been them and them alone ever since Dabura died and to lose the other constant in her life…for the first time ever, Towa felt like she was at a personal crossroads and she wasn't sure which way to go.

-X-


	6. Birth of a Spiritual Rivalry

A/N: I apologise for taking so long with the new chapter. Sometimes it feels like I'm not entirely sure how the story is going to progress (I know where it's going, but how to get there), and I need to work on the pacing, not to mention the uncertainty coupled with procrastination is never a good mix. But that said, the chapter is here now, so thanks to everyone who faved, followed and reviewed in that time and hopefully, I won't take so long with the next chapter

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Black slowly came to with a groan of annoyance. His neck ached and he felt lightheaded, in addition to the pain in his torso, but when he tried to move his arms and found he couldn't, he instantly became awake and alert. His hands were cuffed behind his back and chained to a collar and he'd been dumped into an uncomfortable position that brought a nice ache into his shoulders, not to mention the irritation he felt at being defeated. To be fair, he had no idea of Hit's abilities, but it still pissed him off to be beaten by a weaker opponent. It reminded them that despite their lower status, mortals weren't mere pests and some had abilities and strength to rival him; just because he was a god didn't mean he could underestimate the mortals, as proven in the past.

He immediately attempted to yank the cuffs apart, but they held firm and when he tried to utilise his ki to break the collar, it zapped him in response; Black snarled as the voltage charged through him, almost rendering him unconscious once more and it was only when he was suddenly punched in the chest that he stopped his attempt to break free.

"You're awake," Hit solemnly stated and Black glared murderously at him. "The inhibitor is doing its job. Good. We are almost at the capital. The king waits."

"He'd be better off enjoying whatever time he has left," Black growled. "Mark my words, I will escape this contraption and you will regret ever putting it on me."

"Perhaps. But you will never get that opportunity."

Black harrumphed and moved himself into a comfortable position, already plotting various ways of escape and mayhem. He was going to slaughter the king and his followers, destroy the city and then track down Towa and exact some kind of revenge upon her…he just wasn't sure what kind; the memory of her, naked and panting as she clenched around him, popped up in his mind, causing a stir in his pants and Black grumbled as he banished the memory and subtly readjusted himself. It would not do to revisit that sinful moment and allow his body to have immoral reactions like that. With a growl of frustration, Black settled himself in, doing his best to think of anything but Towa.

"We are here," Hit finally announced and the warship slowed as it neared the airfield. "Time to go."

Once the fleet of warships had docked, the assassin hauled Black from the cargo and out onto the airfield. A small force of soldiers immediately flanked the pair, acting as reinforcements, but Black could only smirk as he read their energies. Killing them would be effortless, but he wasn't going to rush the impending slaughter; he had every intent to savour the carnage, purging the world of the Tuffle race before he moved onto the Demons.

Hit led the squad towards the immensely tall building, no doubt built for a king, and Black sneered at the structure. Mortals saw themselves as the pinnacle of creation, believing that there was no greater force above them, and that it was their right to reach into the sky, to tower above the ground and rule over the rest as if they were the gods. He would show them why they were considered the muck of the universe and that no matter how tall they built their castles, mortals would always be at the bottom of the food chain.

The insides of the castle were grandiose, obviously designed to appeal to the king's ego and Black scoffed at the vanity as he was led through the hallways, finally coming out into a massive courtroom, a throne across from them facing the large window. Hit stopped the entourage and bowed to one knee, a fist on his chest, and everyone else in the room did the same…except for Black, of course.

"My king, we have returned with the target," the assassin announced.

The throne swivelled around to face them and Baby steepled his fingers when he spotted his nemesis. "Goku…it's been a long time."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Black asked. "I know I've killed so many mortals, but I'm sure I'd remember a face like yours if we'd crossed paths."

"Kill? You? What is this – have you lost your mind, Goku?" Baby demanded in disbelief. Goku was not a killer, Baby's death aside, and to hear the admission that he had killed made the Tuffle King wonder what had happened to his nemesis. Not that he particularly cared about Goku, but it still shocked Baby to hear that. Perhaps Goku had finally given in to his Saiyans instincts and become a brutal murderer just like the rest of his race when they extinguished the Tuffles. If so, then it would make Baby's revenge all the more sweeter when he eradicated the vile Saiyan race for good.

Black grinned. If the fool of a Tuffle believed he was really Goku, then he'd happily play up that part. "Lost? No, no, my mind has been enlightened. I have learnt that there is a plague that corrupts the universe and prevents it from being the beautiful and glorious cosmos it should be."

"What the f – no, never mind, I don't care what 'enlightenment' you've discovered, Goku," Baby growled as he rose from his throne and approached the apprehended Saiyan-Kai. "You destroyed everything I worked hard to achieve and if it hadn't been for Towa, you would've claimed my life as well. For that, I need to destroy you, to erase the Saiyans for good."

"Uncuff me then and we'll settle this debt like men," Black offered. "Unless you're too much of a coward, like the rest of the mortals."

Baby bristled, but kept his cool. "I will not underestimate you, Goku, and I don't care if it makes me a 'coward' for killing you while you're shackled. I have the opportunity to kill you and kill you I shall!"

He fired a Full-Power Energy Wave, not caring about any of his soldiers that would be caught in the blast, as long as Goku was destroyed. Sure enough, any of Black's bodyguards that were too slow to avoid the blast were instantly vaporised, while Hit had gotten out of the way in time. Baby grinned in satisfaction, but that smile swiftly evaporated once he saw that Black was relatively unharmed and was now removing the broken collar and cuffs.

"Ah, that feels better," Black grinned as his power returned to him and he dusted his gi off, rotating his shoulders to remove the hindering ache.

"How is that possible?" Baby demanded. "You should be dead!"

A fist slammed into his jaw in response and Black struck him in the abdomen with a powerful kick that smashed Baby through his throne and out the window.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Black smirked. "Did I forget to mention that I'm a god?"

He flinched when he received a blow to his lower back, courtesy of Hit, and he tried to retaliate, but the assassin Time-Skipped and struck him again. Determined to not be defeated again by a lowly time manipulator, Black watched the assassin closely, trying to read his movements - another Time-Skip and another Flash Fist Crush. Wheezing from the blow to his right lung, Black growled in annoyance and instead utilised his other senses, given that his eyes couldn't keep up with the speed of the assassin; this time, when Hit went for another Time-Skip, Black used his hearing to follow the movement and he instinctively countered with a palm strike to the assassin's chest and blasted him across the courtroom.

Black smirked.

And then he got clobbered from behind by Hatchiyack.

-X-

The celebration of Eikyu's birth was nice, if a touch overdone, but Towa put it down to Mechikabura's excitement over the newborn. That said, she wondered if his excitement was to do with the arrival of a new Demon (despite being a hybrid) or the power Eikyu could offer him. She knew the rumours of her grandfather's power in his youth and the thought both excited and scared her; in his old age, he had lost some of that power and was desperate to regain it and Towa had to wonder if she would truly be willing to give up her own daughter to restore Mechikabura to full strength. During the first few months of her pregnancy, Towa had definitely considered it and would've gladly done so, but as time progressed and she felt Eikyu's movements within her womb and then the eventual birth itself, she began to reconsider that decision.

Even now, she watched as Demigra whispered in Mechikabura's ear and multiple scenarios raced through Towa's mind about what they could be discussing. The Demon Wizard's eyes seemed to flick in Towa's direction for the briefest of moments, but it was enough to spark her suspicions. Did Demigra have his own ideals about Eikyu and was he trying to rope Mechikabura into his schemes?

Towa held no trust for the Demon Wizard at all, especially if he was starting to make plans about her daughter, but she had no power against him if it ever came to that moment. Not even Mira was strong enough, but with the gigantic division that was Eikyu between them, Towa felt she had no right to ask him for assistance. He had taken it upon himself to keep a huge distance from the celebration and she couldn't exactly blame him. He had wanted an heir for a while and she had denied him, choosing instead to birth another man's child, simply to see if she could naturally blend two different species into one; as expected, the result hung her relationship precariously on jagged rocks.

So where did that leave her against Demigra?

Goku Black crossed her mind and she entertained the thought: at full strength, Black was more than powerful enough to deal with Demigra, but like the Demon Wizard, he couldn't be trusted. He was a wild card with a superiority complex, not to mention the fact that he was the reason Towa was in this predicament (part of it was her fault too, but she felt justified in completely blaming him); she also had no idea how Black would react to the existence of their daughter, but with his viewpoint, Towa couldn't imagine his reaction would be in a good way.

She felt lost and it aggravated the fuck out of her. Unfortunately, Eikyu seemed to pick up on her frustrations and started to whimper; Towa tried to shush her, but the baby was having none of it and not wanting to draw any attention that was more than necessary, Towa left the room. By then, Eikyu's whimpers had blown up into wails and the Time Witch tried to quieten her daughter; the last thing she wanted was to appear incompetent in calming an upset baby.

"Mistress, do you require any help?" Putine asked, suddenly appearing at Towa's elbow.

"No, Putine, I've got this," Towa replied as Eikyu continued to wail. "I'm sure I can handle it."

The aqua-haired demon studied the crying baby for a moment. "Perhaps she's tired. It has been a long day."

"Well, if she's tired, then she should go to sleep instead of crying."

"I…I don't think it works like that."

"Works for me. Ugh, come on, Eikyu, please stop crying. Everyone is going to think Mommy's hopeless and we don't want that now, do we, little one?"

Eikyu kept crying, her blue skin tinged with red from exertion and Towa sighed, hopelessness crashing down upon her. She had never thought of herself as the motherly type, but it upset her that she felt like she was failing her child.

"Maybe she's hungry?" Putine suggested.

The Time Witch felt foolish at not realising that possibility. "Oh…perhaps you're right."

Teleporting to the privacy of her bedroom, Towa discovered that Putine was right and as Eikyu nursed, the Time Witch contemplated the massive change to her life. She never intended to have any children, her work on manipulating time and trying to bring down the Supreme Kai of Time requiring every inch of her dedication and she believed there was no room in her life for such a possibility, but here she was now, a mother for the sake of a science experiment. She knew she had a monumental road ahead of her in nurturing and raising Eikyu, an act she felt she was incapable of succeeding at, but Towa had never been a quitter. There were bumps and hurdles to overcome in the world of motherhood and she was determined to rise above every obstacle that came her way.

It also meant that protecting Eikyu was her number one priority and that left Towa unsure of what to do in regards to Mechikabura's restoration plans. Prior to falling pregnant, she would've given up her own flesh and blood if it meant her grandfather could be returned to full strength and the Demon Realm could be revived: nothing else mattered. But now, with her daughter in her arms, Towa was having second thoughts about that particular scenario, given the power Eikyu could achieve as she got older due to her mixed bloodline was staggering, but would Mechikabura really wait that long? If he was anything like Demigra in terms of patience, then yes. Towa didn't want that fate for Eikyu, already envisioning her as the future Demon Queen, and if she wanted that to happen, then she needed something else to appease her grandfather.

Wait…what about the Dragonballs?

Could they be the answer?

Once Eikyu finished, Towa tidied them both up and returned to the celebration, ready to announce her idea of the Dragonballs, when Demigra approached her, a wide, self-satisfied grin on his face.

"Why so smug, Demigra? Did Mechikabura finally agree to let you kiss his ass?" Towa taunted.

"No, my dear Towa. In fact, while you were gone, he agreed to something else," Demigra said. "We have decided that with Eikyu's arrival," he leered at the baby and Towa felt her protective instincts surge, holding Eikyu tighter against her body, "there is actually no need for Goku Black."

"What are you suggesting then?"

"Goku Black is to be eliminated. Immediately."

-X-

Flying through space without the aid of a ship was a tiresome task, but Cooler persevered, thinking of nothing but the desire of vengeance to help propel him. While a small part was grateful for being rescued from the jaws of death a second time, Cooler was greatly incensed that someone had dare thought to control him, to use him as a pawn in their own schemes.

No one controlled the mighty Cooler, no one!

He would make all parties involved suffer for their transgressions, after he made them kneel at his feet and recognise him as the true Emperor of the Universe. But unlike Frieza, he wasn't going to rush into his revenge like a fool. No, Cooler was aware of the Demons' power and he wasn't so egotistical to admit that he didn't stand a chance against them. He needed an army and he needed more power.

" _Father always liked to think of Frieza as a prodigy, but the truth is, we both are. We never had to train a single day in our lives for our power. It was bestowed upon us at birth. The difference is that Frieza was a fool and allowed his power to go to his bloated head. No wonder why he lost to a monkey. I, on the other hand, will not make the same mistake. I will train, I will grow in strength and the universe will bow to the might of Emperor Cooler!"_

-X-

The rooftop of the spire exploded into a giant fireball and Black came hurtling out of the flames, Hatchiyack hot on his trail. Black stopped his momentum and flew at the Tuffle Machine, blasting it away with a powerful punch.

"How nice of you to join me," Baby sneered and Black turned around to face him. "At least outside here, my people will get to witness the extinction of the Saiyans."

"Not that I care, but who are you?" Black asked. "I'm only asking because I like to know the names of my victims."

"I'm disappointed that you don't remember me, Goku, but perhaps travelling through time has warped your brain. Understandable with a feeble Saiyan brain like yours. Very well, I am Baby, the King of the Tuffles and rightful ruler of the universe."

Hatchiyack and Hit rose up behind Black, but he paid them no attention, given they hadn't continued the fight yet. All in due time. "Heh, Baby. How cute. You don't look like a Tuffle. Did your race finally grow up?"

Baby growled. "I have evolved beyond the standard Tuffle. I possess the body of Vegeta…or at least a clone of him…still has the same mighty power, but without the pesky background thoughts."

"Ah," Black's grin widened at the mention of the Saiyan Prince. His own body remembered the violent clashes with Vegeta and even though it wasn't exactly the same person, he was eager for a rematch. There was something about Goku's body that seemed to hum in anticipation with the sight or mention of Vegeta, as if it enjoyed fighting the Prince. "What are the odds? Me, wearing the body of Goku, and you, wearing the body of Vegeta, about to do battle like theses bodies are meant to. The only difference is that I am a god with the foresight and will to cleanse the universe and you…well, you are simply nothing in comparison."

Baby scoffed. "You are nothing to me but a memory and a memory you'll become!"

He fired off several magenta ki blasts and Black shot past them to slam Baby in the face with a punch; the ki blasts reversed their direction and slammed into Black's back. A knee shot to Black's solar plexus and Baby hooked him with a double-handle axe strike to the jaw. The move left Baby open and Black capitalised with a strong right hook.

The pair unleashed a flurry of blows at each other, moving across the sky as the shockwaves from their clash reverberated upon the city below, while Hit and Hatchiyack patiently watched. As they fought, seemingly on par with the other, both Black and Baby registered a thrill in their respective bodies, as if the ghosts of the original owners enjoyed the battle, reigniting the spiritual rivalry.

"It's amazing to see a powerful Tuffle," Black smirked as he ducked a side kick. "Then again, you inhabit the body of a Saiyan and while primitive and barbaric, their strength in undeniable. That's why I took Goku's body, because I recognise the power I needed for my mission was unattainable in my original body."

"You're insane," Baby stated while deflecting his opponent's strikes. "I have no idea who you are or how you ended up in Goku's body, but you are insane with the crap you're dribbling about."

"Of course you wouldn't understand. A creature of the lower worlds who has no idea about his place in the universe, like a common rat, and therefore is incapable of comprehending the vision of a god."

"Oh, shut the fuck up! Final Flash!"

The massive magenta energy wave barrelled towards Black, surprising him with its speed and he narrowly avoided the beam, sensing the power as it rushed past him. Again, he reminded himself to never underestimate the mortals and so, he responded in kind with a Super Black Kamehameha. The beam slammed into Baby and propelled him across the sky – Hit drove his fist into Black's spine, severing the Kamehameha, while Hatchiyack started charging its Revenger Cannon.

Black immediately swiped at Hit, but fell into a Time-Skip trap and copped a Flash Fist Crush that seared right through his chest. He ignored the pain by converting it into rage instead, and his aura burst to life, producing a shockwave that forced Hit back – Hatchiyack unleashed its Revenger Cannon and Black stopped the beam with both hands and exerting his strength, he forced it into the sky.

"No, don't interfere!" Baby demanded as he returned to the fight, his armour slightly scuffed from the Kamehameha. "I wish to kill him on my own!"

"Oh, how brave and foolish," Black sneered. "You will wish you accepted their help once I'm through with you. In fact, I'll let you live so you can watch your 'empire' burn to ashes around you and once you regret your arrogant ways, then I'll end your pathetic life."

"You won't defeat me, Goku! Not this time. I am too strong for you, just like I was too strong for Towa."

"Ah, so you've had a run-in with my little witch, have you? Did she bring you here, intending to use you for her own purposes?"

"She thought she could control me," Baby explained. "I told her I needed Vegeta's body and she created a clone, but for someone who is apparently so smart, she failed to mind control _me_ when I possessed the body and I was able to escape. Now, I intend to make her pay for her foolishness, even stealing some of her technology to increase my army from other points in time. "

"See, this is why the mortals must be eradicated. Left to their own devices, you are only capable of war and your arrogance lets you bend and twist the flow of time to your own desires, something even I refuse to do."

"I am trying to end this war so I can bring peace and prosperity to the universe. Under my control, the entire universe will never experience war, poverty or segregation ever again. We will all be united as one; it's a shame that Towa refuses to see it my way."

"How unfortunate for you, but don't worry, once I'm done with you, she's next. Now, you say you're too strong for me? Let's test your little theory with the Kaio-ken!"

Black's aura turned red as his power doubled and in the blink of an eye, Baby had been pounded across the sky. He tried to fight back with a series of energy blasts, but Black avoided them all and resumed the onslaught, bruising Baby's body with heavy blows.

Hit flew in to help his king and attempted a Time-Skip, but due to the Kaio-ken, Black was able to avoid the sneak attack – just. A ki blast flew at him, courtesy of Hatchiyack, and Black smacked it aside, resulting in an explosion in the Imperial City.

" _No, no! I cannot have him destroy my city,"_ Baby thought in desperation as he watched Black hold his own against Hatchiyack and Hit. _"I have worked too damn hard to rebuild my empire, just for Goku to waltz in and ruin everything again!"_

"Kaio-ken times three!" Black cried, increasing his power, simply because he wanted to display his strength and because he also wanted to fuck with Baby's minions. The increase allowed him to easily overpower Hatchiyack, dropping the Tuffle Machine into the city with an elbow strike to the back, while Hit's Time-Skips weren't as effective as before, something the Tuffleised assassin noticed to his consternation as the fight wore on.

There came a monstrous roar and Hirudegarn rose from the depths of the Imperial City, unleashing a gargantuan spout of flames at its master's assailant. At the same time, numerous warships entered the fray, their weapons locked onto Black, and all at once, they fired. Black ducked and weaved around the energy blasts, returning fire with his own energy blasts, as Hirudegarn swiped at him with a massive fist. Black stopped the blow with ease, but the force of it still rocked him.

" _Where did Baby find such a disgusting beast? Foolish creature,"_ Black thought as he flew higher and unleashed a Super Black Kamehameha at Hirudegarn; the Phantom Majin vanished in a cloud of smoke and materialised in a different position. _"Huh…interesting."_

"I've had enough of him," Baby growled. "Slaves…give me your energy!"

While Black was preoccupied with Hirudegarn, Hit and the warships (a few pilots met their ends at Black's hands), Baby gathered the energy granted to him by his loyal followers, pooling it in the palms of his hands as he prepared the Revenge Death Ball, while growing his own power in the process. He needed a minute to complete the technique and while the warships were slowly crumbling in numbers, their burning metal corpses crashing into the city, Hit and Hirudegarn were holding their own against Black; the assassin was adapting to the loss of his Time-Skip by finding new ways to combat Black.

"Why don't you all just give up and perish?" Black growled when Hirudegarn vanished and re-positioned once more. A Revenger Cannon was blasted at him and he dodged it, resulting in the destruction of another warship, not that Hatchiyack cared, boiling with hatred of the Saiyan. "You are insignificant flies and your defiance of the gods is blasphemy! Your arrogance lets you believe you can spit in our faces and for that transgression alone, your punishment is death and it is time to pay that due."

"Hey, Goku!" Baby called out and when Black faced him, he gritted his teeth at the sight of the completed Revenge Death Ball and Baby grinned at the display of his own immense power. "It is time for the Saiyans to meet extinction! Revenge Death Ball!"

He hurled the colossal energy sphere and Black was caught by surprise at the speed of the technique. Baby's generals immediately evacuated the area, as the warships aborted their attack; they all knew that they were not needed once Baby used the Revenge Death Ball, as no one had ever survived the powerful attack. They also didn't want to be caught in the vicinity when the sphere detonated, lest they get obliterated as well.

Black caught the Revenge Death Ball and he was shocked to discover that even with the Kaio-ken at tripled strength, he was struggling to hold back Baby's ultimate; the power of the Tuffles' hatred that was contained within the energy sphere was immense and Black wondered if he'd underestimated the mortals once more. The mere thought that he could be bested by mortals again filled him with rage; he would not lose to the sinful bottom-dwellers again, no, his dream of a perfect, beautiful paradise would be fulfilled, no matter the cost.

He drew back a fist, about to punch the Revenge Death Ball back at its irritating owner – Baby fired a Big Bang Attack and the two energy attacks combined, mingled and culminated in a humongous explosion that sent shockwaves rippling around the entirety of the planet. In the Demon Castle, Towa felt the tremors of the Revenge Death Ball and even Mechikabura noticed its power.

Baby protected himself against the backdraft of the mighty eruption, always impressed with the impressive power of his ultimate attack and he grinned at the blinding light that was not too dissimilar to that of a nuclear explosion – there was no way that Goku could've survived and if by any chance he did (that was a huge 'if'), Baby was more than happy to finish off the remains.

The light eventually faded, as everything else slowly returned to normal, revealing that there was nothing left of Black. Any citizen still outside during the detonation were now picking themselves up, thrown by the shockwaves, while the self-contained nature of the Revenge Death Ball meant that the city had been left relatively unharmed.

" _At long last, the Saiyans are dead,"_ Baby giddily thought to himself as he looked upon Goku's 'resting place'. _"The Tuffles finally reign supreme and once I destroy the Demons, the entire universe will bow to me. Now, I must celebrate my victory."_

Outside the Tuffle Imperial City, Black watched Baby retreat to his spire, completely unaware of his survival. The Kai was impressed by the power displayed by the Tuffle, but it also doubled down his desire to eradicate the mortals and it also frustrated him that he couldn't get the job done due to the loss of his true powers. It made him feel as weak as a mortal and fury burned through him.

" _Mark my words, you may have won this battle, but the war is far from over,"_ Black promised. _"I will return, stronger than ever, and you will get to witness the strength of a god before I raze your city like wheat in a field. But first, I must deal with the one responsible for stealing my power. Let's see, Towa, what are you up to?"_


	7. Reunion of Parents

The good thing about trying to manipulate the flow of history was the stores of dark energy Towa was able to collect in her journeys…unfortunately, said dark energy wasn't enough to replicate the power of the Dragonballs (not for lack of trying), but at least there were other uses.

"How does that feel?" Towa asked.

"I feel stronger," General Bon replied with vigour, dark energy pumping through his body. "I feel like I can take on Goku Black and defeat him."

"That's the idea. Black may be formidable, but he is not indestructible. If you can overwhelm him, you might have a chance, but don't forget that he is a Saiyan. Do not give him any breathing space."

It didn't make any sense to her to kill Black, what with the power he could provide them, but Demigra obviously got his way with Mechikabura and orders were orders. If Towa was being honest, she had a sneaky suspicion that Demigra was afraid of Black; she'd never seen his full power for herself, but she knew of Black's reputation and the might he possessed and she had no doubt that it was beyond that of Demigra's. After all, that's why she initially captured him, hoping to use his power for her own purposes. Besides, after all the trouble she went through to capture Black, it felt like such a waste; her thoughts on the matter had nothing to do with the fact that he was the father of her daughter. If Mechikabura had ordered Black's execution, then Towa would help carry it out.

Speaking of Eikyu, the tiny baby was sound asleep in her cradle nearby her mother's workbench, content as she could be, and Towa allowed herself a small smile when she glanced briefly in the baby's direction during her work on the Goku Black Execution Squad: looking after a baby was a tiresome and at times stressful commitment, but Towa could happily admit that Eikyu was by far her greatest creation. However, that meant that in a castle full of potential backstabbers, Towa had to keep a close eye on her daughter and carefully watch anyone who approached her – that meant even Mira, who had just entered the laboratory and wordlessly approached the cradle, staring at the snoozing baby with a hardened expression. It didn't alarm Towa, but she noted that it was the first time that Mira had ever come close to Eikyu and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested to know the reason why.

Excusing herself from her work, Towa joined him at the cradle, trying to appear nonchalant about his proximity to Eikyu as she fiddled with her experiment on recreating the Dragonballs.

"Why?" Mira finally spoke, so softly that Towa thought she imagined it until she looked up and saw his eyes on her. "Why did you have her?"

"I told you why. Nothing more needs to be said."

"You knew how much I wanted an heir, how much I wanted us to have a child together; remember how you kept denying me because you said our work was more important?"

"I didn't exactly deny you, but I was right: the work came first. I believed it was only fitting that when we succeeded in reviving the Demon Realm that we could finally welcome a child of our own into the new, beautiful world. Circumstances have changed that."

"You don't wish for us to have a child…and yet you give birth to Black's bastard?"

Towa growled low in her throat, her protective instincts pricking up at the insult. "Do _not_ be a petulant child, Mira. I am not obligated to fulfil your wishes just because you throw a tantrum. And if you think that because I had his child means I'm going to run off with Black, you can forget that thought, because it will never happen."

Mira turned his full gaze to her, surprised by her comment. "I never said-" he cut himself off to regain his composure. "I know you won't run to him, but you have a child to him because you didn't think about how that would affect us."

"Excuse me?! You honestly think I spent nine months not giving a single damn about our relationship while his child gestated inside me?" Towa demanded, anger seething through her. How dare he think so low of her! "I thought about it every single day of that pregnancy, but I reasoned that the power contained within Eikyu once she grew into it was far more important than us." She didn't care there was an audience watching them verbally battle; she would not stand here and allow Mira to take his frustrations about Eikyu out on her. "I'm not asking you to be Eikyu's father and I know I cannot ask you to accept her right away, but you will eventually have to deal with it, Mira. She's here now. You have to understand that she is a Demon and Saiyan hybrid with the blood of a god and what that could mean for the Demon Realm. Everything we've worked towards concludes with her."

"Be that as it may, she is not my heir," the Demon Android sullenly stated.

Towa barely resisted the impulse to roll her eyes. "Well too bad, I've done the pregnancy thing once and I'm not doing it again. Now, as far as I'm concerned, this conversation is over. You can take your wounded ego somewhere else that's not near my daughter."

Mira simply did as he was told; he left the laboratory without another word and as she watched him go, Towa questioned if she had been too harsh with him. Yes, she had probably done the wrong thing in going through with the pregnancy, but damn it, can everyone stop reminding her about it? Only Mechikabura and Putine were delighted about the baby; everyone else let slip their opinions behind Towa's back, but she caught the snippets and she knew what they were calling her and her daughter. Throw in Mira's disapproval and dislike towards Eikyu and it was no surprise why Towa had told him off, even if it hurt her. He was her first creation, her greatest until Eikyu's birth, and it cut her to spurn him, but she refused to let anyone, even Mira, talk shit about her daughter.

Call her overprotective, but Towa didn't give a fuck; her daughter was her number one priority.

Fuming about her husband, Towa focused on her work, empowering the members of the Execution Squad with dark energy; it annoyed her that they had lost Cooler, but really, it was a minor inconvenience and at least Putine and Gravy were willing to assist, along with the Dark-Masked King and General Bon. She did think briefly that Mira would be a fine candidate for the team, but she wanted to give him time and space as he worked things out; they both needed it and maybe then, they could come to a compromise. A child with Mira would've been a delightful outcome for their future, but Goku Black happened and now Towa had her hands full with Eikyu, temporarily closing the door on that dream. She never told him it'd never happen; it just wasn't on the cards right now.

"There, all finished," Towa stepped back with a satisfied smile, staff in hand. "It'll take some time for your body to adjust and fully utilise the dark energy's enhancements, but you should still notice an increase in your strength."

"It's amazing, this power," General Bon gushed. "I wish to find Black now and test it."

"Patience," the scientist chastised. "We have no information on Black's whereabouts for the last few hours and we will not be rushing in blind to find him. In the meantime, I suggest getting used to the dark energy – the quicker you can adapt to it, the better your chances against Black."

"So be it," Bon growled.

As the bison left, Towa mused to herself on his loyalty ever since he defected to her side; he had proven useful, doing anything and everything he was told and the addition of the Red Pants Army to her Time Breakers was greatly welcomed, swelling the ranks and getting put to good use by Demigra. Ever since the crushing defeat at Gingertown, the Demon Wizard had improved his tactics in battle and Towa could begrudgingly admit to his skill as a commander. The war was still at a stalemate, with neither side giving an inch, but with the inclusion of the Red Pants Army and Demigra's strategies, the Demons were slowly turning things their way.

It was a painful process, but Towa was thankful the matter was out of her hands and had nothing to do with her anymore, leaving her with more time to pursue her own interests. Besides, if Demigra couldn't beat Baby and the Tuffles, then it'd make him look bad and the failures would hopefully make Mechikabura terminate the Demon Wizard, so for Towa, it was a win-win.

"Mistress Towa!" a Majin Time Breaker announced as she rushed into the laboratory. "Mistress Towa, we require your assistance!"

"What is it?" she asked, not interested in any interruptions, not when she was attempting to create her own set of Dragonballs. If she was truly needed, she hoped the disruption didn't take long.

"One of our smaller supply bases is under attack!" the Majin replied. "It's not from the Tuffles."

"Well, General Bon will be pleased. This is something I need to see in person," Towa stated with a smirk. Pleased as she was to have her daughter, if her methods were correct, then Towa couldn't wait to make Black suffer for driving a wedge between her and Mira. Of course, it was disappointing to see such a waste of power, but Black's death had been ordered and she would see it through without hesitation. She felt nothing towards him, even though he gave her Eikyu.

"Mistress, are you sure about this?" Putine asked. "What happens if Black sees you?"

"Don't worry, Putine, I have that sorted."

-X-

It was gone.

The little cottage that overlooked the picturesque and peaceful forest, the place that he had made into a small home with Zamasu that they used to carry out the Zero Mortal Plan from, was gone.

All that remained was nothing more than broken and burnt stumps, a cemetery of the former forest, no doubt a casualty of the war between the Demons and the Tuffles. Black hovered above the site, angered by the desecration of the once-beautiful land. For all its flaws in sustaining the plague of humanity, there was a natural beauty to Earth, beauty that had now been decimated by the violent folly of the Demons and Tuffles in their primitive, barbaric war. Not even his small piece of sanctuary had been spared; then again, destruction was all the mortals knew.

Would there ever be an end to his rage?

Would he ever get to know true contentment?

" _I've had my fun with the Tuffles; now it's time for the Demons to suffer. When I get my hands on Towa, I will make her see the error of her ways before I end her miserable life."_

Rising from the ruins of his retreat, Black expanded his senses, trying to locate the nearest Demon settlement. His senses pinged with low energy readings and with a murderous grin, he shot off towards the location. Before long, he arrived at the small Demon base and he observed for a moment, watching the Time Breaker patrols perform their duties as they kept watch against any outsider activity. It would take little effort to destroy everyone, so quick that they wouldn't have time to call for help, but he wanted Towa; he was unable to pinpoint her location, which meant that he had no choice but to ask someone.

Hurling a Power Ball as a greeting, Black followed through with a Super Black Kamehameha and almost immediately, he was swarmed by groups of Time Breakers and assaulted with numerous energy waves. He grinned in delight, the power too weak to do much apart from giving him a slight tickle and he created the Aura Slide and made his next move. He took his time, hoping they would send out a distress signal; he was hedging his bets that Towa would answer the call and if she didn't show, then he would gladly torture whoever did for the information.

" _As much as their deaths is required to restore the universe to pure beauty, it is unfortunate that not a single one of these Demons can provide a simple challenge for me,"_ Black mused as he lazily, yet brutally, slaughtered his way through the Time Breakers. _"I understand that they are mortals and therefore cannot hold a candle to the glory that is my godhood, but my blood yearns for a challenge. Only Baby seems to be a worthy opponent, despite being a disgusting parasite, and that really shows just how much I am scraping the bottom of the barrel. It's…disappointing."_

A few ships rose up to join the fight, but they were swiftly dispatched with a few Power Balls and after a short time, Black had massacred everyone at the base. Shrouding his power, he retreated into the shadows of the night to patiently wait for his efforts to pay off.

He waited.

And waited.

(Patience wasn't exactly a strong suit of his. He could be patient when required, but right now, he was itching to get his hands on Towa – and not in the way that his body seemed to desire).

Just when he thought he might have to look elsewhere, Black spotted a flash of light and his grin broadened when he saw Towa arrive in a small group. He recognised all the members, but he had eyes for the Time Witch only.

Again, not in the way that his body wanted and he shoved all thoughts of their 'time' aside; he refused to allow his basic Saiyan instincts to take hold and misdirect what he truly wanted: he wanted to kill Towa for drenching his body in sin like a filthy mortal and with her death, he'd get to reclaim the virtues he felt he lost when he joined bodies with her.

His body grew warm at the memory and Black mentally reprimanded himself, trying to keep his focus on purging ideas rather than corruptive ones. Just because he wore the body of a mortal did not mean he had to succumb to the same primal whims and desires as them; he was a god and therefore much better than that, regardless of the needs of his body.

"Spread out and search the place," Towa commanded. "Look for any survivors, but be careful: Black may still be here, waiting for us. Be on your guard."

" _If only you knew, my dear Towa,"_ Black thought. _"I see you have ditched your bodyguard. I wonder, did you two have a lover's tiff? Such is the petty folly of mortals."_

He contemplated assassinating the others, but he could sense a strange, dark energy within them that made him pause: he had no idea of the potential power if it was unleashed and while he figured it wouldn't be anywhere near his own power, he had to remind himself that he'd fallen to weaker beings before and could do so again if he underestimated the mortals.

He observed as Towa cast a spell to illuminate any survivors in the surrounding area, noting her skill in magic. It was an ability rarely utilised due to the usage of ki, with only the gods having some measure of natural talent, so to see a mortal use magic reminded him of his goal of justice.

He continued to watch Towa, savouring the thought of ending her life and hopefully free himself of these thoughts of lust that had taken root in his mind, no thanks to her actions. But he didn't want to kill her here…no, he was going to follow her to the Demon stronghold and eradicate the entire lot of abominations from within their own sanctuary; perhaps the battle would revive his lost powers and then he would be set to destroy the Tuffles afterwards and continue his mission across the universe. It was a decidedly decent plan and his fingers itched with the need to kill, but he held back. Patience was the key here, the anticipation making the future purge all the more sweeter to experience.

"There's nothing here but bodies," Putine announced as she returned to Towa's side, Gravy lumbering alongside her. "There is not a single sign of Black anywhere. He's vanished, mistress."

"Such a shame," Towa mused. "I was hoping to witness the parameters of the dark energy upgrade, but I suppose it'll have to wait another day. It's disappointing that he's managed to destroy one of our bases, but not to worry, we'll have it ready before the Tuffles realised what's happened."

"A shame…I really wanted to pummel Black," General Bon grumbled and Black had to hold back his laughter at the audacity of the claim; the bison couldn't even hold a match to Black's blazing sun. "He's nothing more than a coward, running away before we got here. He's scared of us."

" _That settles it…I'm killing him first,"_ Black decided.

"Don't get too carried away," Towa coolly cautioned the bison. "Until I know the effects of the dark energy, keep a smart head on you, in case Black takes it from you. Do not underestimate him."

"I apologise," General Bon acknowledged, bowing his head.

"Good. Now, since Black is long gone, we must leave and hope he is not being a nuisance somewhere else."

The tip of her spear glowed, creating a portal that encompassed the small group and warped them from the destroyed base; Black immediately put two fingers to his forehead, locked onto Towa's signature, and followed after them, warping through space in pursuit – until he slammed face-first into an invisible barrier that dropped him out of the Teleportation Zone.

" _The fuck?!"_ Black grumbled as he rubbed his sore forehead and then he looked up to see the Demon Castle, realising that he had still, somewhat, arrived at his desired destination. _"Oh, so Towa has a barrier to prevent anyone from using Instant Transmission. Clever girl. Still a pain."_

No alarms blared and there were no signs of any defenders, so Black could only assume that his presence hadn't yet been detected. Which was good, as it gave him time to try and figure out how to bypass the barrier.

" _Hmm, this should do it,"_ he thought as he cupped his hands and poured energy into his palms. He continued to gather energy, making the Kamehameha Wave as strong as possible, and once he felt he had gathered enough, he bellowed, "Kaio-ken times three!"

Its power tripled in strength, the Super Black Kamehameha smashed through the barrier, neutralising it completely, and barrelled into the castle for a mighty explosion. Black took to the sky, using the explosion as a diversion to infiltrate the castle from another direction. He could hear and sense the commotion within the twisted structure, hear the call to arms and commands to find and destroy the intruder. In all honesty, it would take very little effort on his behalf to carve his way inside, such was the insignificant powers that made up the Time Breakers, but he opted for a different approach, seeking one person in particular.

Then, he could massacre everybody else.

Selecting a window, Black shattered the glass and broke into the castle, keeping his senses alert for anything that would call attention to his location. So far, the focus was still at the base of the castle, allowing him to process without hassle; he quickly found Towa's signature and with a grin, he headed for her. A Time Breaker suddenly crossed his path, no doubt in a hurry to heed the call, and before the soldier could react, Black crushed his skull with a single blow.

" _Disgusting,"_ Black thought as he flicked the gore off his hand. _"How dare the essence of mortal touch my divine skin."_

He ascended through the spirals of the castle, swiftly dispatching anyone who crossed his path; only minnows and he was yet to come across anyone stronger, like Towa's bodyguard or the Dark-Masked King, which he favoured since he wanted no-one else but Towa. Black moved silently, using just enough ki to increase his speed without any chance of detection as he closed in on the witch's whereabouts; he could barely contain himself with the joy of killing her; his hands itched with thoughts of the impending murder and he wet his lips in eagerness.

He finally came to the laboratory, the place of her location, and he stepped inside, looking for her. The sounds of turmoil echoed below, but he paid them no heed, only one thing on his mind: her. And there she was, working at her bench, and he grinned when she turned around to see him, her eyes wide with shock as horror settled on her face.

"You!" Towa barked. "How did you get in here? How did you get past all the security?"

"Oh, I have my ways, Towa," Black grinned as he stepped slowly towards her in the way that a lion stalks his prey, savouring the enjoyment of the kill. "You cannot believe how much I've looked forward to this moment. I finally get to end your life for what you've done to me."

Towa sniffed in derision, doing her best to conceal her fear at his proximity. When the attack first happened, she entertained the thought that it was Black, that he had followed her group back to the castle, but she hoped that he would've been detained while trying to get to her and so, she kept working. She didn't expect that he would circumvent everybody coming for him and go straight to her, leaving her without much of a defence. She only hoped that once the Time Breakers realised Black wasn't where they thought he was, they'd be able to come and rescue her.

Oh, where was Mira when she needed him?

"As I recall, you were the one who initiated the whole thing and if I'm not mistaken, you enjoyed it," Towa pointed out, trying to stall him. But seeing him again reminded her of their encounter and his mark on her collar throbbed with the memory. She knew she felt no desire towards Black, despite what her body thought otherwise, but she felt a soft pulse through her body at the thought of a second round; she mentally recoiled, shoving that idea into the far recess of her mind.

There was no way that was ever happening again, especially with him now threatening her.

"I am not a disgusting mortal compelled by the sins of lust," Black growled, energy coating his right hand to form the Aura Slide. "I am a god, pure and righteous, and your actions defiled me."

"Like you're one to talk, Black. There was defiling on both ends," Towa taunted, preparing herself for a fight. "It's okay to admit that you enjoyed the moment of fucking like a sinful mortal. As a god, I can't imagine how boring it was for you, being an uptight virgin on your little world of Kais. You should be thankful that you now know the touch of a woman, willingness aside."

"You're a whore."

"Is that the best you can do? How disappointing, but then again, that's men all over: talk big and fail to deliver every time."

Her heart pounded in trepidation as Black threateningly approached closer, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing her fear. Just because he was more powerful than her did not mean she had to bow to him, especially not after being intimate with him.

"You mock me, a god?" Black snarled, face contorted with fury, hand begging to drive the Aura Slide into her chest and end her life. End the memory of their time and erase it from his mind and purify him of the sin that he had committed by fucking her.

"Face it, Goku Black, you may be a god and think you're above everybody else, but wearing the body of a mortal makes you no different than the rest of us; you're just as much as a slave to the whims and desires as all mortals are."

"That's enough out of you!" Black cried and he raised the Aura Slide.

A baby's cry pierced the air, stopping his attack, as Towa internally freaked out. _"No, no, no, not now, Eikyu. Damn it, now he's going to know about you."_

"What was that?" Black queried in confusion as he lowered the Aura Slide, trying to find the source.

"That, I'm afraid to admit, was our daughter."

Black's eyes bulged out of their sockets as the words hit home. "WHAT?"

Towa sighed and used her magic to telekinetically pull the crying Eikyu from her small crib and into her arms; the Time Witch kept hold of her staff, in case Black decided to get violent again and she needed to protect her daughter from harm. "See, this is what happens when mortals delve into 'sin' together; they create life, and that's exactly what we've done, Black. This is our daughter, Eikyu."

"No, no, it's impossible," Black cried in denial as he backed away from mother and daughter, his eyes flicking between the pair, usually lingering on Eikyu as he was trying to make sense of the world. To be fair, it had just been flipped upside-down with this revelation. "That cannot be true…even I know how long mortals gestate for and it's only been a month-"

"You forget that I can manipulate and travel through time. I gave birth to her in a different point in history. Too much going on to even attempt a pregnancy in this time."

He couldn't wrap his head around the inconceivable idea that he had created a child, and not only that, but a child with a Demon…an abomination. Shock quickly turned into rage as he locked his furious gaze upon Towa.

"No, you're a lying harlot! You honestly think you can fool me into believing that hellspawn in your arms is my child? You are truly delusional if you think you can deceive a god!"

Towa resisted the urge to roll her eyes; she had expected a reaction similar to this one and therefore, she wasn't disappointed. Then again, she wasn't exactly sure what she expected to gain from telling Black about their daughter. In all honesty, she'd prefer if Black never knew anything about Eikyu at all, but she couldn't have everything, despite her best efforts.

"Say whatever you want, it doesn't take away from the truth. In fact, if you took a moment, you'll be able to tell she's yours," she said and Black looked at Eikyu again. He caught the baby's scent, a unique mixture of Saiyan and Demon, and he sensed the lingering hint of a Kai in the tiny body; the confirmation slammed into him like a freight train, his eyes widening comically, and Towa hummed. "Congratulations, Black, you're a daddy now."

"No, I refuse," Black growled, backing away. "I refuse such an abomination!"

He retreated as swiftly as he could, smashing through a window and flying away from the castle, before using the Kai Kai to vanish completely, as Towa did her best to ignore the twinge of disappointment in her heart. Eikyu had calmed down now that she was in her mother's arms, as Mira and the Dark-Masked King finally burst into the laboratory.

"What took you guys so long?" Towa snapped at the pair. "He was here a moment ago, but since you are incompetent, he escaped. Good luck on surviving Mechikabura's wrath when he finds out."

Mira glowered at her. "Why didn't you raise the alarm?"

"Sorry, I was busy trying not to get killed. Why didn't you get here sooner?"

"We couldn't sense Black and we were searching throughout the entire castle."

"A poor excuse. Now, get out of my laboratory. I have work to do and you have a disciplinary to attend." She turned away from the pair, but she could still feel the heat of Mira's glare on the back of her neck, even after he left. Wide awake, Eikyu gurgled in contentment and Towa gave a small smile to her daughter. "It's okay, my love, we don't need your father at all. You don't need him."

-X-

Baby stared at the world map, working out strategies and tactics on breaking through some of the Demons' defences. The odd skirmishes here and there were annoying him and now with Goku out of the way, he could focus his full attention on destroying the Demons for good. He knew the Red Pants Army had thrown in with the Demons, increasing their numbers, but Baby's Saiyan instincts saw that as a challenge, not a hindrance; the Tuffle side said otherwise.

If he could just infect one of the high-ranking Demons, that could be his ticket to victory.

"My liege!" Hit cried and Baby whirled around, surprise colouring his face.

"Who the hell are you and how the hell did you get in here?" the Tuffle King demanded in outrage.

Robelu gave him an arrogant smirk in response. "I am Robelu, secretary to the Demon God, Demigra. I am also quite intelligent; in fact, your sophisticated security is mere child's play to someone like me. But I'm not here to gloat…okay, a little, but I am here to give you a peace offering."

"Proceed," Baby replied as he raised his hand and gathered a small sphere of energy. "You have ten seconds to state your intentions and then I obliterate you."

The secretary continued to smirk, which infuriated the Tuffle-Saiyan, but then she held up a canister of what appeared to be dark energy. "Towa has been working on dark energy to increase the strength of the Time Breakers. However, my master has his own plans and wishes for you to use it for your own purposes."

Now Baby was simply confused. "I don't understand. Why would your master want to betray Towa?"

"Like I said, he has his own plans, none of which involve Towa. All he asks in return is that you spare him and myself when you finally defeat the Demons."

"Hmm…I cannot guarantee your survival when that time comes, but I appreciate your offering. Hit."

The assassin received the canister from Robelu and she gave Baby a curtsey. "Thank you, Baby. I can't wait to see how you utilise the dark energy."

With the infuriating smirk still in place, she vanished from the room and Hit handed the canister to Baby and he held it up to the light to inspect it.

"What do you think, my liege? Was she telling the truth or is she setting a trap?"

"I say we test it and go from there," Baby grinned. "For if there is betrayal in the Demons, then who am I to pass up the opportunity to finally achieve my victory?"


	8. Sacking of East City

A/N: Once again, I apologise for such a late update. Sometimes I wonder if I know where I'm going with this story and if I'm even doing it right, so that just results in lack of motivation for however long. I even thought about giving up on this story, but it's the only Black/Towa fic around, which somehow got me to keep writing. Anyhow, I'll leave it up to you guys on what you think about this.

* * *

Demigra was livid.

He ranted and raved about the quality of Towa's barriers, proclaiming the weakness of them due to Black easily breaching the castle, while stating that he could do better. Oh, and he was shouting about this in front of Mechikabura, possibly hoping to make Towa look incompetent in the eyes of her grandfather.

Not that Towa particularly cared.

"I have a suggestion: you stop waving your arms around like an idiot and do it yourself if you think you can do better," Towa suggested and Demigra glared murderously at her. "After all, surely a Demon God can keep a Supreme Kai out? Or is that too difficult for you?"

His upper lip curled with fury. "You should watch your mouth, my dear Towa. You are already skating on thin ice with your constant failures and your infatuation with Black will only serve to break it."

"My what? Excuse me? I have no infatuation with Black."

"No? Explain his child that you've borne. Explain how he managed to get away after he was seen leaving your laboratory. Explain-"

"Demigra," Mechikabura finally spoke and the Demon God immediately fell silent. "That will do. You can complain about Towa all you like…she has given us a gift that will restore our home…where is your contribution to the cause?"

The Demon God gripped his staff as he stood straighter and puffed his chest out. "I am winning this war that Towa has started."

"Only minor victories. None of which brings us closer to eradicating the Tuffles for good. As long as this Baby Vegeta lives, we will not be able to revive the Demon Realm. The same goes for Black. We need them both dead."

"Yes, I understand. Unfortunately, Towa's little pet project also lost us Cooler. While a minor player, it is still another setback we've had to suffer thanks to her ineptitude."

"Demigra," the Demon Emperor started and this time, the Demon God shrank back from the tone of his voice. "Go. Now."

"Yes, my liege. As you command."

The Demon Wizard slinked out of the chamber, secretary by his side, as Mechikabura sighed wearily. Towa was immediately by his side, concern etched on her face.

"I am fine, Towa," the ancient demon said, waving her off. "Demigra has always been difficult in his own way. He is quite useful, but his arrogance does get the best of him. Nonetheless, he does raise some interesting points that cannot be ignored any longer."

"If this is about Goku Black…?" Towa started, but he raised a hand and cut her off.

"Not entirely. Towa, there have been too many failures recently…only your daughter has been the highlight and yet she is a baby, unable to do anything until she grows up. The Demons are strong, but I need my full strength if you wish to prevail against the Tuffles and I need you to restore it for me."

"I have trying to create my own set of Dragonballs with the dark energy I have collected over the years, but every attempt ends in failure."

"Don't focus on your experiments…they will not work because you are not a Namekian."

"I understand, but the Namekians we have in our forces are incapable of creating-"

"Are you not a Time Witch?"

She wanted to slap herself for being foolish. "You're right. I will get right onto it. I will have the Dragonballs for you before the fall of night."

"Go," Mechikabura urged. "Make me proud. Oh, and take Mira with you. Make him useful."

Towa hid her grimace with a bow of her head. "Yes, my lord."

-X-

Curse that witch!

She had taken his seed and spat it out in the form of a child, essentially binding him to a mortal. He was now what they called a father and the thought left a taste of disgust in his mouth. He was nobody's father, had no desire whatsoever for any offspring, but now he had a daughter and to make it worse, she was of Demon blood, tainted by mortal-kind.

He had mercilessly killed children in his quest to purify the universe and this child of his would not be spared simply because she was of his blood – she was birthed by a Demon, an abomination of the mortals and as such, she was no different than the rest of Towa's ilk.

A god should not mix with a mortal and to do so defiled the purity and perfection of the gods; it was a violation that demanded retribution and Black wouldn't hesitate to carry it out, to sever the connection between him and Towa. A creature like that baby shouldn't exist; it was a stain on creation, not to mention the immense threat the baby possessed towards Black and the Zero Mortal Plan if she ever got a chance to grow up. As a mortal created from divine blood, the child represented the flaws of the gods and yes, he was aware of his hand in her creation, and he sought to rectify his mistake; to leave the child alive would make him no better than the rest of the gods who refused to rectify the problems of the mortals.

He could blame the child's existence entirely on Towa if he so wished, but again, that wouldn't make him any better than the other gods and so, he had to admit to his own mistake, but it did make him think for a moment: was Towa right? Was he really no different than the mortals because he wore Goku's body and thus subject to the same feelings and desires as mortals?

No, she was wrong. She was an abomination who had birthed her own abomination with the seed of a god; such a crime needed to be punished…and yet, he fled despite being presented with the opportunity. He could've erased his colossal mistake with a simple energy wave and he had escaped the castle without even thinking about it.

He put it down to being shocked at the revelation that he had created a child and he could claim that he wasn't in the right frame of mind at the time of conception, but it'd still happened; he'd still partaken in the disgusting act and created his own kind of abomination. The thought of the child filled him with revulsion and he knew, he knew, that Towa had done this on purpose, for whatever reason he wasn't sure, but her act in birthing an abomination was an utter violation of nature and so blasphemous that no amount of justice could ever truly correct the sacrilege.

The wall exploded and Black sighed as he lowered his fist. Great, now he had to repair that, but he wasn't in the mood. He had created life with an abomination and the fury that raged inside him was unmeasurable.

He was suddenly thankful that both Zamasu and Gowasu were dead and unable to see him like this. The former would express contempt at Black's actions, but ultimately agree to destroy the child for the good of the multiverse and the latter would probably be disappointed for Black's interference in the realm of mortals…just like he was disappointed when Black ran him through and started the path of justice.

He wasn't entirely sure what to do now: Towa and the brat needed to be eradicated, that was a simple fact that couldn't be ignored, yet he was sitting here like he was licking the wounds of his pride or some shit like that. Kais didn't have children, hell, Kais weren't created like every other mortal and with the revelation that he'd fathered a child was making his head swim, regardless of his own personal thoughts towards said child – it was still a massive shock to hear.

Heading outside, Black sat on the lush grass and crossed his legs, adopting the mediation pose. His mind was overwhelmed by this sudden change in his life and he needed a calm mind before he resumed his mission.

Child of his or not, that heresy against nature was going to die.

-X-

East City.

One of the few pieces of territory not yet claimed by either side, though not for the lack of trying. The formerly glorious city was now a devastated wasteland of bodies and destroyed ships thanks to the countless battles waged here to claim the city, all ending in ruin. This was where the human factions were the strongest in numbers, with remnants of the Red Pants Army that refused to defect to Towa's side; their utilisation of guerrilla warfare and scavenged technology allowed them to keep the war at a draw, attacking both sides whenever they had the chance. Even Baby himself hadn't been successful during his rare appearances in the city, despite using Hirudegarn; as a result, Tuffle and Demon forces dotted the outskirts of the city, waiting for the right opportunity to expand their territory while humans struggled to hold onto hope that they could survive this war.

But despite the setbacks and tragedies, not a single side had given up.

Baby was hoping to change that as his small patrol fleet approached the demolished city. He had his scientists inspect the dark energy gifted to him by Robelu and while they couldn't determine an insidious plot to overthrow the Tuffles from within, they had noted the potential power the energy would give. As a result, Baby ordered Hatchiyack to be the one to use the energy; if the Tuffle Machine was destroyed, Baby could simply rebuild it or snatch another version from another timeline.

"Time to see what this power can do," Baby mused as he opened the canister, drenching Hatchiyack with the contents. "If this works, I'll have to make a meeting with that little demon."

Hatchiyack growled as the dark energy was absorbed into its body and it left the ship, flying towards the city. The dark energy distorted and warped within the Tuffle Machine, expanding not only its power, but also its body, continuously increasing until the Tuffle Machine was a gargantuan beast, on par with Hirudegarn…and even stronger than the Phantom Majin.

Energy shields hummed in warning as Hatchiyack approached, but with a mighty punch, it collapsed the shields and proceeded unhindered into the ruins of East City…until Time Breaker ships flew overhead, blasting the Tuffle Machine. Hatchiyack roared, dark energy forming around its body like an aura, charging with immense power and it unleashed the devastating Ultra Revenger Cannon, warped by Towa's magic. The sphere sliced through the ruins, obliterating everything in its path and detonated in an explosion that tore a massive crater in the ground.

" _Amazing,"_ Baby grinned, watching from the safety of his ship. _"Hatchiyack has already surpassed my expectations with this dark energy. Oh, how delightful that there is a betrayal in the ranks of the Demons and it is benefitting me. Whoever that demon is, I must send her a fruit basket."_

Ships spiralled and crashed into the shattered streets, their flames of destruction billowing into the air. Hatchiyack roared and swiped its humongous fist through the air, destroying at least another two ships, its enhanced body impervious to the energy waves of the Time Breakers' attacks.

" _East City will be mine in moments and that means I can expand my empire. With East City under my control, there'll be nowhere left to go for Towa and soon, I will make her kneel before the might of the Tuffles! Hmm…perhaps I should summon Hirudegarn to quicken this up."_

Hatchiyack bellowed, coming under attack from the human resistance now and distracting it from the Time Breaker ships. Baby input a command on the control panel and a moment later, a portal opened above East City and Hirudegarn dropped through with a mighty roar of its own. Landing within the wreckage, the Phantom Majin unleashed the Gigantic Flame, setting the ruins ablaze.

" _Yes, yes! Destroy! Make this city mine!"_ Baby mentally crowed. _"Finally, after so long, East City belongs to me! And soon, Towa will be mine! Hmm….who is that?"_

"What do we have here?" Demigra mused, observing the destruction. "It seems the Tuffles have gotten bold, but…that dark power coming from that artificial beast…is that Towa's work?"

"It appears so," Robelu agreed, going along with the act. After all, this was part of their plan to discredit Towa and hopefully have her removed for good. "You don't suppose she is secretly working with the enemy? It would explain why this war still exists."

"An excellent suggestion, as always, but now is not the time to ponder Towa's loyalty. We are here to test him out."

Beside the Demon Wizard, the figure hovered silently, observing the battle. Clearly a Saiyan in appearance, the person wore a modified Time Breaker Saiyan outfit, a Time Breaker mask on his face to keep him under control and the aura of Demigra's magic circling his body. The Demon Wizard had captured this Saiyan from a distant timeline, noting his impressive power, and reasoned that the Saiyan would be strong enough to defeat Goku Black – funnily enough, it took Demigra a lot of time to apply his magic to have the Saiyan under his complete control because of said power, on top of the amount of meticulous planning required to capture the target – even then, it had not been easy and Demigra lost several soldiers, but the intricate planning paid off and he'd was ultimately successful and now he could only hope that the Dark Saiyan was worth the sheer amount of effort taken to capture him.

Of course, this had been done in secret and now was the first chance he had to test the measure of his control. If successful, Demigra could move ahead with his goal of destroying Black and eliminating Towa.

"Dark Saiyan, show me your strength and your loyalty," Demigra announced. "Kill the Tuffles."

The magical aura expanded as the Dark Saiyan powered up and he flew straight at Hirudegarn, catching the beast off-guard and decked it in the jaw with a punch that blasted shockwaves through the ruins. The Phantom Majin staggered from the blow and eventually collapsed, crushing the streets beneath its gargantuan weight.

" _WHAT?!"_ Baby gawked at the scene before him, jaw hanging in shock. _"Who the fuck is he?!"_

Hatchiyack snarled and stomped towards the newcomer, but after its punch was dodged, the Tuffle Machine received a kick to the jaw that dropped it flat on its back; Demigra chuckled in delight at the power displayed by his puppet and he knew he had made the right decision in capturing and enslaving this particular Saiyan – it would make things easier in his quest to become the new Supreme Kai of Time…and perhaps even the new Demon Emperor.

Hirudegarn bellowed as it stood and used the Gigantic Flame, but the Dark Saiyan weaved around the fire and shot forth – this time, Hirudegarn countered with the Dark Eyes manoeuvre. Unfortunately, as soon as the Phantom Majin re-materialised, it copped an energy blast to the face and it growled as it stumbled from the force. Hatchiyack tried to aid, only to receive a powerful strike to the throat, and it dropped to its knees, its rage increasing at the power gap.

The Dark Saiyan watched the pair slowly regain their bearings and he flew at Hirudegarn, an energy ball in hand – Hirudegarn roared as it lunged forth to meet its aggressor – and swallowed him in one go.

" _Well, that should be the end of – wait…"_ Baby started.

Hirudegarn's stomach glowed with dark energy and the Phantom Majin roared in panic, clawing at its gut – and its top half was suddenly obliterated from within, leaving only the bottom half as the Dark Saiyan hovered in his aura of dark magic, unharmed from the stomach contents.

"Impressive!" Demigra crowed in delight.

"No, no, NO! NO! NO!" Baby raged. "I'll kill him! I'll kill that punk!"

The remains of Hirudegarn sizzled, as the Dark Saiyan sized up Hatchiyack and slowly raised his clenched hand towards the sky. He opened his hand – and East City was wiped from the planet in an immense explosion that hurled the gigantic Hatchiyack and forced it back to its regular size. Baby snarled at the power display, his blood demanding the Dark Saiyan's head…he wished he had brought Hit with him, but he left his bodyguard to watch over the Tuffle Imperial City and now that oversight was costing him.

He could sense the Dark Saiyan's energy and it was absurd.

"Open fire!" Baby ordered. "I repeat, open fire. Leave nothing behind of this intruder."

The patrol fleet did as they were commanded, bombarding the Darky Saiyan with energy blasts from all angles. Thick smoke grew from the intense assault, obscuring the Dark Saiyan from sight. Baby refused to let up, wanting to wipe every single little trace of his pet's murderer from the face of existence – the Dark Saiyan burst from the smoke and destroyed a nearby ship with a punch.

Two more ships fell from energy waves and Baby saw no other choice, as much as he loathed the idea, a bad taste forming in his mouth. "Retreat! Retreat now!"

The injured Hatchiyack collapsed into its master's ship as the rest of the fleet obeyed and turned tail. The Dark Saiyan destroyed three more ships before the Tuffles were able to escape and Baby dropped an explosive countermeasure upon the Dark Saiyan to ensure his own survival.

Retreating hurt his pride and ego, but it was the necessary call. He needed to know more about this newcomer before they crossed paths again

"That's enough!" Demigra called out to his servant. "Let them go. As fun as it would be to chase them down, we'll let them lick their wounds before we completely destroy them. I like what I've seen and I'm sure the Dark Emperor would be just as impressed."

"What about East City?" Robelu asked as the Dark Saiyan joined their side.

"It belongs to the Demons now. We'll rebuild it and create another stronghold. We've shown the Tuffles that we are not to be trifled with and hopefully, it'll make them think twice about their next attack, for if and when they do, we'll be ready for them. Now, we must make a report about Towa's magic being used by the enemy."

The trio vanished via a portal, returning to the Demon Castle. Meanwhile, the remains of the Tuffle fleet soon arrived at the Tuffle Imperial City and Baby stormed off his ship in a rage. He had suffered losses before, but never to the extent of losing a prized pet. Hirudegarn had been instrumental in several victories for the Tuffle King and now the Demons had a new fighter strong enough to destroy the Phantom Majin with ease.

And Baby thought it was bad when Goku was around.

His blood was boiling, frustration and rage seeping through every cell of his stolen body; he needed revenge, needed a way to strike back at the Demons and destroy them for good. They had been a constant thorn in his side for too long, hampering his desire to stretch his empire across the entire universe, and with the loss of Hirudegarn, it was time for payback.

" _Are they ready now?"_ Baby wondered, his mind shifting elsewhere.

His rage slowly cooling, the Tuffle-Saiyan descended in his citadel to the laboratory, wishing to check the progress – he stopped short when he saw the empty tanks and he whirled towards his scientists for an answer.

"Where are they?" Baby demanded.

"They are with Hit, my liege," came the meek reply. "Their growth was complete while you were out and Hit took it upon himself to test them. I believe you can find them in the training grounds."

"You should have sent me a message as soon as they were awake! I wanted to be here to see them open their eyes! You foolish waste of space, get out of my way!"

The scientist quickly acquiesced, his master storming from the laboratory. Baby fumed as he made his way towards the training grounds, but once he reached them outside, his anger slowly seeped away. There, Hit was sparring against two teens, both Neo Machine Mutant Tuffles, created from Baby's own Tuffle tissue, making them pure and free of any Saiyan DNA. Unlike him, the twins had porcelain white skin and defined hair and they both wore similar clothes to each other: Oren, the boy, was adorned in a black bodysuit with yellow insignias and a blue jacket; his sister, Kamin, also wore a black bodysuit, but with blue insignias and a red jacket. Their petite appearance belied the power they contained, genetically engineered to be extremely strong.

As it was, the two combined were giving Hit some trouble.

"My children!" Baby greeted and at once, Oren and Kamin ceased their sparring and turned to him. Along with their strength, they were also programmed to obey him without question. "Come to me."

The twins stood before him and he observed them. They were his secret weapons, his trump card in the war against the Demons…at least until the Dark Saiyan's arrival…but Baby was confident that his twins could be more than a match for anything the Demons threw at them.

"I want a real fight," Oren spoke up. "Something to give me a challenge."

"I want to have fun," Kamin added. "Sparring is boring. The old man is boring."

"And trust me, you will have that," Baby agreed. "You two are ready. It's time to make the world truly ours."

-X-

She hated this feeling that wore upon her body and even her soul.

She hated that she hurt him, hated that she had turned him away, all because of her own interests.

When she was putting together her plans to create a Demon Empire through the manipulation of time, he'd been there at her side, unwavering loyalty and all. But now there was a rift between them and she was at a loss at what to do about it.

Mira was silent as they travelled through time and Towa couldn't blame him: she'd acted coldly towards him over his words about Eikyu and they'd been distant with each other virtually since then. The distance was growing, she could feel it; she had pushed him away in defence of her daughter and now she felt the regret that consumed her. She wanted him back by her side, but she knew his thoughts on Eikyu and in a way, could understand why he was upset about the child. She wanted to make it up to him somehow, but she wasn't sure where to make the first step.

It was lonely without him by her side.

"This is like old times sake, isn't it?" Towa started, trying to find a way through to him once more. "It's been a while since we've done something like this."

Mira remained silent.

Fuck. She expected a response like that, but it still stung all the same. Getting him back was going to be harder than she thought.

"Look, I know you're upset about Eikyu, but it shouldn't come between us," Towa tried again. "Surely you can understand why I decided to go with the pregnancy."

Again, Mira stayed tight-lipped. She thought about giving up for the time being, but then, his words finally pierced the space between them. "I hate that he had his hands on you and he was able to succeed where I failed. I hate that he violated you and you carried his spawn to fruition. I hate that you lied to me about the pregnancy and allowed me to only find out after she was born. I hate that you have her set up to be the next ruler of the Demon Realm when it should have been our child. I hate that you refused to do for me what you did for him. He doesn't want to be a father. I want an heir."

Towa chewed her lower lip in thought, but also to refrain from commenting about his speech, given it was the most amount of words in one instance that she ever heard from him. "Like I said, I refuse to fall pregnant again, it's simple as that. I did it once and I didn't enjoy it, so I won't do it again. But hear me out, Mira," she placated when he grumbled in response, "perhaps we can work something out."

They arrived in Age 770 on Kami's Lookout. The caretaker of the Lookout popped his head out and Mira moved swiftly to deal with him. Towa watched him battle against Mr Popo, soon blasting him unconscious with a Galick Gun. That's when their target appeared on the scene and Towa used her Time Bullet to hold him in place, allowing Mira to grab him in a chokehold and soon render him unconscious. Picking up Dende's limp body, Mira joined Towa and she opened a wormhole in time, sending them back to their home.

"As I was saying, I was going to suggest creating a child from our genetic material," Towa continued. "Grow him in a tank and that way, we can have the child you want without me having to go through the pregnancy ordeal all over again."

Mira contemplated her proposal. "You would do this for me?"

"Of course…you are important to me, Mira. I need you by my side and without you, the world feels colder. Consider this my olive branch; I want us to be a family."

"And what about your daughter?" the Android asked.

"She is part of the family. I'm not asking you to pretend to be her father, but I would appreciate it if you didn't look down on her because of who her father is and how she came be. At the end of the day, she is my daughter and I hope you can understand her importance to me."

"Very well, I accept your offer.

She mentally sighed in relief. "Thank you, Mira."

They returned to Age 999 and Mira hauled Dende off towards the laboratory for preparation, while Towa approached Putine, who held the snoozing Eikyu.

"No trouble?" the Time Witch asked as she retrieved her sleeping baby.

"None, mistress," Putine replied. "She is, ironically enough, an angel. However, mistress, I must warn you: Demigra returned while you were gone and he…he went straight to the Dark Emperor…I fear it has something to do with you."

Towa shook her head in frustration. "What the hell is that fool up to now? Why is he so fixated on me? Damn it…I'll sort him out."

She brushed past Putine and made a beeline for Mechikabura's room: whatever Demigra had to complain about this time couldn't be good in any way and she hoped it was simply more bullshit, because that was all the Demon Wizard seemed to spout nowadays.

"Ah, you're here," Demigra grinned when she entered the room, Robelu by his side as always. "And you've brought Junior along too…how adorable."

"What is it, Demigra?" Towa snapped, wanting the matter dealt with swiftly and without hassle; with Demigra, unfortunately, that was wishful thinking. "And who is this?"

"Oh, this is the Dark Saiyan, my little project that I've been working on. I'll have you know that I finally succeeded in capturing East City, something that you failed to do. Yes, we will have to rebuild it, but that's beside the point. The point I wish to make is something I need to show you." The orb in his sceptre glowed, projecting an image from the battle in East City, specifically Hatchiyack, who was surrounded by dark energy. "Is that not your magic powering the enemy?"

Towa narrowed her eyes. "What game are you playing here, Demigra?"

"I thought I'd recognise your work…yes, that is definitely your magic."

"You honestly think I would aid the Tuffles? For what reason? What would I have to gain from it?" Towa demanded, trying to keep a lid on her rising temper, but it was difficult with Demigra being so damn infuriating. What did he have against her?

"It would explain why this war has been dragging on for so long."

"Demigra," Mechikabura growled and the tone in his voice booked no argument and even caused a flash of fear to cross the Demon Wizard's face. "Your constant attacks against Towa have been quite irritating, to say the least. I am sure there are more important things to undertake than overcompensating for your own failures in the past. That said, I will have someone look into this matter and if it is true that you are working with the Tuffles, Towa, then you will be dealt with. Now, all of you, get out of my sight. You are annoying me."

Demigra hurriedly shuffled out of the room, his body so hunched over in a bow that his nose was just inches from the floor. Towa glared at his and Robelu's retreating forms and she glanced at her grandfather, but his red eyes blazed and fear struck her body and she withdrew just as quickly as Demigra, although without the pathetic bowing, while Eikyu started to tear up from the terrifying power that had temporarily gripped her.

" _Mark my words, Demigra, once I figure out what you're up to, I will end you,"_ Towa promised herself. _"I will not let you bring any harm to me or my daughter or disrupt any of my plans that I've been working on for so long. Seems like I need to introduce you to Goku Black and let him sort you out."_

* * *

A/N: Yes, I added in Oren and Kami from DBH, even though they just debuted, but I do like the idea of them and decided they'd be a good fit. I also fudged up their origins for the purpose of this story.


	9. Mark of a Saiyan

A/N: There's quite a lack of Black/Towa within this story, surprisingly, so I attempted to rectify that for this chapter at least...I hope I did alright and nothing's too...wack.

* * *

Well, that was awkward.

Towa laid in bed, a snoozing Mira by her naked side. They just had sex for the first time since this entire fiasco with Black started and…well, it had been great, there was no denying it. Mira seemed intent on 'reclaiming' her as his way to erase the touch of Black and she couldn't blame him for his efforts. He was quite…vigorous, even more than usual. Part of his efforts might have something to do with the mark Black had left on Towa's collar and that was an entirely different matter on its own. She hadn't paid too much attention to the bite mark due to other things taking up her time, but when Mira had kissed her there, like he was trying to replace it with his own touch, it had sparked off a wave of desire…except it hadn't been for Mira. Images of Black had flashed through her mind at the touch, awakening the memory of him holding her against the wall as he fucked her, and when Mira had brought her to a climax, it was Black's face that was on her mind instead of her beloved creation.

She was thankful she didn't cry out Black's name in pleasure because that would've made things even more fucking awkward. She didn't tell Mira about it, for obvious reasons, but while he had managed to fall asleep practically straight away, Towa wasn't so fortunate, her body and mind restless and unfortunately, it was due to involved Goku Black.

Outside of the fact they had a child together, it was like he would never escape her thoughts…and now he had just pervaded her thoughts as she reached her orgasm with Mira, reminding her that he would always be around…but the question remained: did she imagine him because of the mark he'd left on her skin or because of some deeper infatuation she was yet to uncover?

As much as she had attempted to block out the memory of their tryst, it had led to Eikyu's creation, and in the rare moments when Towa decided to indulge herself, she thought of that moment between them. She'd be a liar if she didn't say that memory could get her hot and bothered, but she usually tried to repress that memory for Mira's sake, to put the past behind them and rebuild for the future…hence their 'reunion'.

With a low growl of frustration and careful not to disturb her husband, Towa slipped from her bed and strode towards her bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her. She wanted a moment alone, unsure for whatever reason, but she stopped in front of the mirror and inspected the mark. Even after nearly a year later, the outline of Black's teeth had never fully healed, always a faint silhouette against her blue skin; it was still tender to the touch and at times could be quite sensitive, as Towa had learned while washing that area on numerous occasions.

She glided her fingers over the shadowy indentions and a shiver of heat rushed through her at the contact, no doubt partially due to the fire that still lingered in her from earlier like some unfulfilled need. She thought of him, remembered the feel of his hands on her skin, the way he filled her and a flood of heat burned through her veins and made her pussy clench with the craving to feel him again, the scent of her own arousal filling her nose. Goku Black was at the forefront of her mind and she felt an aching need, but Towa tried to resist the urge; she shouldn't do it, not with Mira in the other room, not when she had just gotten him back in her arms…

She shouldn't do it, period.

With one hand tracing circles across the sensitive mark, Towa ghosted the other hand across her body, palming her full breasts, her nipple stiff in the open, cool air. Each tap on the mark spurred her on and sent sparks of heat to pool between her thighs while igniting images of Goku Black and the memory of their tryst. She rubbed her thighs together, trying to ease the aching need, her rationale telling her to quit and return to Mira – she ignored that idea and continued, her hand slowly trailing over her flat stomach, creating sparks of desire, until she reached the apex of her legs.

Towa paused for a moment, overwhelmed by the craving that burned through her veins, and she tried to banish the thought of Black, looking at herself in the mirror to try and stabilise herself – she noted her flushed skin, her fingers skimming lazily across her vulva – she had to stop, she couldn't keep thinking of Black like this, no matter how damn good that memory was – her fingers dipped lower into her glistening folds and she was shocked at how wet she already was.

" _This is just from thinking of him? I'm soaked and all I've done is touch his bite…it's like I have this lustful need to be with him…oh, that can't happen again…oh, but this does feel nice…if he was here…"_ Towa's thoughts trailed off as she threw her head back, giving in to the carnal desires that consumed her. "Fuck – me-"

Her hands were at work, one tracing the bite mark, the other rubbing the tiny bundle of nerves, her hips rocking as pleasure seized hold of her body. Tiny gasps escaped her lips as she abandoned all logic and surrendered to the pleasure; passion burned as it ascended towards the pinnacle with every touch on the bite that combined with her fingers working magic on her clit as they glided through her slick folds – Towa panted heavily, her legs shaking with the struggle to keep herself upright as she was overcome with lust – she was so close now, so close and Black was all she could think about and she was trying not to make too much noise but damn she was almost there and it felt so good – with a final stroke, her climax exploded and she whispered Black's name as her body was wracked with the intense throes of her orgasm – she had to grip the banister to steady herself through the surges of pleasure that crashed through her system, her inner thighs sticky with her pungent juices, her soaked fingers massaging through the final spurts of hedonism.

Once she came down from her high, Towa immediately felt a wave of shame and regret descend upon her shoulders like a heavy blanket. She had just gotten herself off to the thought of another man, a man who she wanted nothing to do with and was working on ways to eliminate him, while her lover slept in the other room. Guilt swamped her and she stepped into the shower to wash away the evidence of her mark-induced pleasure.

" _I shouldn't have done that,"_ Towa thought moodily as she watched the water wash down the drain, taking the evidence with it. _"It was like I couldn't stop myself – I played with the mark and I lost myself…what kind of power is that? It's only a simple bite – damn that Goku Black! What has he done to me? He cannot have that kind of power over me, not now, not ever. Perhaps once he is finally dead and gone from my life, I won't have to worry about it anymore."_

She soaped her body, taking extra care around her sensitive collarbone, lest she triggered another episode of decadence, and once she felt like she was clean, she exited the shower, dried herself off and hurriedly returned to her bed – Mira was still asleep and thankfully none the wiser of what she had done – guilt still ate away at her despite the buzz of endorphins and out of shame, she kept to her side of the bed, refusing to seek comfort from Mira's warmth.

It took her a while to fall asleep, but when she finally did, Goku Black was still on her mind.

-X-

On the Sacred World of the Kais, Goku Black snapped awake with a hard and pent-up cock, his subconscious having flooded images of a naked and wanting Towa into his dreams. Growling in frustration and muttering about a certain witch and the decadence of mortals, Black left his bed to mediate and hopefully put his violated mind at ease so he could resume his rest.

-X-

"Is everything okay, mistress?"

"Hmm?" Towa distractedly replied, her mind elsewhere. She was overseeing the creation of the Dark Dragonballs, helped along by the brainwashed Dende, she was still trying to deny her actions the previous night, which in turn led to her avoiding Mira, not to mention making sure that the creation of their future child was successful, and to cap it off, Eikyu had been restless and fussy ever since she woke up. Goku Black continued to pervade her mind, as the mark ached, but Towa was trying to focus on the important things instead of a certain frustrating Saiyan.

"You look…tense," Putine continued while trying to placate the squirming Eikyu. "Oh my, why is she so agitated?"

"I have no idea," the witch replied and a sigh escaped her when she spotted Mira venturing into her laboratory. "Oh dear."

"What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you later. Hello, Mira, how are you?"

"I could ask you the same," Mira replied, standing next to her, a signature frown on his face, but one could see the concern in his eyes if they looked closely. "You've barely spoken to me since this morning…barely even seen each other."

"Well, as you can understand, I am quite busy. I have a ton of work I have to oversee, not to mention an upset baby."

"Even still, you always made time for me."

"Speaking of which, I am planning a mission for you, if you're interested in stirring up the Time Patrol."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but before he could say anything further, Robelu stepped into the laboratory, looking like she owned the place, Gravy trailing at her feet. Towa sighed as she rolled her eyes: she was so not in the mood for anymore of Demigra's games and she had no interest in anything Robelu had to say. Thankfully, Mira seemed to sense this and faced the secretary.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"I thought you'd be interested to know that the Tuffles are on the move," Robelu said with a graceful smirk, unnerved by Mira's intimidating tone.

"I thought your master was supposed to be dealing with them," Towa said dismissively. She cast a look at Dende and saw light glowing around his hands. The Dark Dragonballs were nearly complete and soon, Mechikabura would be restored to his full power, enabling the revival of the Demon Realm.

"It's not just a handful of Tuffle skirmishers – it's the entire Tuffle army. An hour ago, Baby withdrew all his troops from current conflicts and now he is bringing all of them to our front doorstep!"

"Impossible. With all the defences we have set in place, he will burn trying to break through them," Towa exclaimed.

"Not with the entire army he has at his disposal. We've estimated it'll take him around ten to fifteen minutes for him to break through the barrier; Demigra has already sent some resistance and I'm here to bring you at back-up."

"And here I was thinking Demigra was confident in handling the Tuffles himself," Towa drawled. "Very well, I did have more important matters to attend to, but I'll help. Perhaps this will give us a chance to greatly reduce Baby's army and grant us a chance at victory. Come, Mira, you must be itching for a fight."

"I am," he replied and headed for the exit.

"Putine, I'd ask you to join me, but I need you here to look after Eikyu," Towa said. "You're the only one I trust with her."

"I will do it for you, mistress."

"Good, thank you. Let's go, Mira. We have Tuffles that need exterminating."

-X-

The barrier was weakening from the heavy sustained attack, although it wasn't without loss: the energy cannons installed by the Demons were cutting down Tuffles soldiers and ships, not to mention the Demon soldiers taking shots from behind the safety of the barrier.

Until Baby, empowered by dark energy, completed the Revenge Death Ball and launched it.

The barrier rippled from the power of the attack and the Tuffle forces concentrated their fire upon the impact point; Hatchiyack launched its Revenger Cannon and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. The barrier shattered, Baby grinned in victory, and there was a flash of light, revealing the Demon reinforcements led by Demigra and Towa.

"What perfect timing, a welcoming party," Baby grinned and he gestured to his entire force. "As you can see, I have brought guests: I hope you can entertain them."

"Are you really that desperate to die, Baby?" Demigra questioned. "Do you really wish to see your race become extinct once more?"

"As if you fools think you can withstand the full might of my army!"

"Who are those two?" Towa inquired, motioning to the twins. "I know you're a lowly creature, Baby, but I never thought you'd recruit children. Getting desperate?"

"Don't act like you're above it, Towa: you'd do the exact same if given the opportunity."

"Why'd you have to call me out like that?"

"Regardless, it's time for the Demons to perish!" Baby announced. "Oren, Kamin: lead the way."

"Yes, my liege," the twins replied together and they flew into battle.

Anarchy reigned in an instant.

The sky was alive with energy blasts and exploding ships. While she was primarily a scientist, Towa was no slouch when it came to combat; she hung back, firing blasts of dark energy to empower her soldiers while destroying any opposition that came near her, but despite the numerous Machine Mutants she took down, the Tuffle Army advanced and it quickly became apparent why: Tuffles started exhibiting similar effects of her magic, increasing in power with the aid of dark energy.

" _There is no way Baby could've gotten his hands on dark energy unless it came from us,"_ Towa thought and she looked over at Demigra as he annihilated several lesser Tuffles with his Seasoning Arrow technique. _"I'm willing to bet that he has something to do with it, treacherous bastard he is. I hope he gets killed here today."_

Baby laughed giddily when his Reverse Shot killed three Demons, dark energy flowing through his body, increasing his already impressive strength. In the week since Hirudegarn's death, he had his scientists study and replicate the dark energy, spreading it to his entire army to harness. Even now, his power was still expanding, as he fired the Galick Gun that cut a swath through the Demon forces.

" _I don't know why that Demon gave us this power to use against her own brethren, but it is quite a blessing and I don't care about the reasoning,"_ Baby thought, vanishing around a Time Breaker's energy blasts and punched a hole in the soldier's chest. _"The Tuffles will reign supreme today!"_

A ki blast flew at him and Baby growled as he batted it aside, looking towards the shooter: the Dark-Masked King. He fired one in return and the Dark-Masked King powered up to deflect the blast, his mask and robes ripping off his body to reveal King Vegeta – and Baby snarled.

"You! You who slaughtered my people, my entire race, without mercy! I will finally get my revenge on you for all the deaths you caused, you filthy Saiyan! How fitting it will be when I slay you while wearing the body of your son. It's time to pay, Vegeta!"

Amongst the war, they clashed, giving it everything they had: however, despite recent increases to his power since their first battle, King Vegeta was outclassed by Baby due to his dark energy power-up, and it showed when Baby drilled King Vegeta with a right hook that imbedded him in the ground below. The Tuffle King threw his hands out to his sides in preparation for the Final Flash to finish his foe off, but had to cancel when an energy wave flew his way, courtesy of the Dark Saiyan. Having noticed that King Vegeta had escaped with the distraction, Baby growled under his breath in frustration as he tried to find his foe in the sea of violence.

" _Curse that interference! I will not be denied my vengeance!"_

Meanwhile, his twins were carving their way through the lesser Demon forces, their skill and teamwork making them extremely dangerous. Hit kept an eye on them as he used his Time Skip to full lethal effect, delivering killing blows to all of his opponents, as he noticed Gravy approaching the twins. The Demon unleashed bolts of black lightning upon the pair, catching them by surprise.

"Look, sis, a living, breathing punching bag," Oren smirked at Gravy.

Kamin looked bored at the prospect of fighting the Demon. "He doesn't look powerful, so it won't be an interesting fight," she said as she fired an energy wave at a Time Breaker.

"Fine, I will fight him. At the very least, I can test my strength."

Kamin hummed in reply, targeting Demons with energy waves, as Oren flew at Gravy. As their fight unfolded, Hatchiyack roared as it threw a mighty punch, but the blow was easily stopped by the Dark Saiyan's defence. The Tuffle Machine continued its assault, trying to break the Dark Saiyan's guard, but the Dark Saiyan bellowed with laughter and ploughed a kick into Hatchiyack's abdomen, hurtling the Tuffle Machine through several Tuffle ships, destroying them in an instant. Several emerald energy waves blasted across the sky towards their target, only for the Dark Saiyan to chuckle as he evaded them all and was able to counter the raging Hatchiyack upon the Machine's furious return. After receiving several blows, Hatchiyack roared, its rage getting amplified by the dark energy, and the Tuffle Machine transformed into its Super Giant form, striking the Dark Saiyan with a gargantuan fist – although the Dark Saiyan was unharmed by the punch.

Energy waves punctuated the sky as the war raged, both sides pushing hard to take the advantage against the other – the Tuffles were greater in number, but the Demons had stronger individuals, as General Bon gave in to Towa's magic and bellowed as he transformed, dark energy overflowing his body; he had taken on a silvery sheen, his eyes glowing pink as the Time Breaker symbol appeared on his forehead and a dark aura surrounded him, his power level skyrocketing, and Towa hummed in delight at the sight of her work. Around the bison, several others took on the same form, allowing them to plough through the Machine Mutant frontline.

Above the war, Goku Black observed.

He had returned to Earth to eliminate his abomination of an offspring, but upon sensing the massive collection of energy signatures, which included Towa's, he had come here to investigate and he was not disappointed to witness a war taking place. He sneered in disgust – of course there was a war, mortals only knew one thing and that was violence. How could the gods let these barbaric cretins infect the universe like cancer? They were clearly incapable of evolving out of the need for violence.

Seeking out Towa, he smirked when he spotted her near the fringes of the battlefield and he used Instant Transmission to appear right in front of her.

"You!" Towa cried as she recoiled from him in surprise.

"Hello, _dear_ ," Black smirked and he struck her with a kick that blasted her away from the battlefield and chased after her.

"What are you doing here?" she growled as she prepared herself for a fight.

"What can I say…I _missed_ you," he grinned sinisterly, purple ki coating his right hand.

"Hmm, very well, if you wish."

Dark energy burst from the tip of her spear and coated her body. Black watched, intrigued by what she was doing, ignoring the sounds of battle behind him. The dark energy was absorbed by Towa's body and she glowed as she underwent a transformation – one completely different from General Bon and the others. Her outfit was altered in appearance, as red markings emerged around her eyes and her hair became slick, save for her signature long bang. Power oozed from her and Black simply snickered at the sight of her Darkness form.

"Change your appearance all you like, you are still no match-" he started, but Towa fired an energy blast from her spear and he barely dodged it, his eyes narrowing. "Fine, I'll play, but know this, Towa…you will not survive."

"I only have to distract you long enough for the others to take notice," Towa said. "I have no doubt that everyone, Demons and Tuffle alike, would love an opportunity to take you down."

"Ha! Let them try."

Towa fired a beam of energy from her staff and it grazed Black's tunic. He glared at her, then shot towards her and slashed with the Aura Slide. Towa dodged the ki blade and thumped Black in the ribs with her staff – he clocked her with a left hook that had her reeling, but she recovered quickly and landed a kick on his jaw when he moved for her. He fired a Power Ball; she deflected it and fired one of her own. He vanished, re-appeared beside her and swatted her with a backhand. Towa flew from the force of the blow, but she was able to turn it into a graceful tumble and she straightened with nothing more than a smirk.

"You're losing your touch, _Daddy_."

"Speaking of which, after I'm done with you, I'm killing the brat next," Black growled. "Gods are above mortals and should never breed with them – you've committed the ultimate sin by spawning the abomination and like her, you will pay for your transgressions."

"Yes, I've got the hint by now, you can stop repeating yourself, Black…it's boring. It's funny when you think about it, though…Mira would be a better father than you."

Black growled and moved faster than Towa could blink, seizing her by the throat, his face inches from her. "You dare compare him to me? The arrogance-" He paused when a scent struck his nostrils, sending a strange message to his brain that only his Saiyan instincts seem to understand and he frowned at Towa with a mixture of confusion and anger. "Someone touched you."

"Yes, it was Mira," Towa replied, trying to remain unfazed by his grip on her throat. Thankfully, he wasn't choking her, merely holding her in place. "After all, we are married and we do as couples do."

Black inhaled the scent again and it seemed that the scent was strongest coming from Towa's neck. He couldn't understand why it was angering his Saiyan instincts or why he felt a sudden primal need to reclaim her. A hazy memory ignited in his mind in his search for answers and he looked at Towa closely. "Did I…bite you?"

"Why yes, yes you did," was her response and she lifted the shoulder of her top, exposing the bite mark he'd left upon her skin. "Infuriating really…it hasn't faded. I guess you could say you really left your mark on me in more ways than one."

Black released her, Mira's stench overwhelming his senses, and he reeled back from her. He remembered biting her in the heat of moment, but he didn't understand why he'd done that – he was a god, not a Saiyan and therefore didn't know their ways, but deep inside, he felt a burning desire to take back what was his and remove Mira's stench. His Saiyan mind had claimed Towa as his and with the smell of another male upon her, it angered him to the point of wanting to hunt Mira down and tear him limb from limb for dare touching his mate.

What. The. Fuck?

Black shook his head, trying to understand where that thought come from. Towa watched him, remaining in a defensive stance in case he tried to attack her again, but he seemed to be internally wrestling with himself. Black tried to fight back the primal instincts rearing their ugly heads – he was a god and above such foolish and disgusting mortal habits, but the need to reclaim Towa was overwhelming strong. It was fucking vexing, since he just wanted to kill her and the rest of her kin, but Mira's scent upon his bite had awoken something vicious inside. Before Towa could react, Black was upon her again, but this time, he shoved her top's shoulder aside and sank his teeth into her skin. She cried out in surprise, but the pain was replaced by liquid heat that shot through her veins and culminated between her thighs. Black reared back, his hands gripping possessively upon her waist, a trickle of her blood upon his lips and – holy fucking hell, what was _**that**_ pressing up against her inner thigh?!

"You're mine," Black growled.

"Fuck you," Towa spat, trying to ignore the lust that burned through her, trying to ignore his hardness pressing up against her, trying to ignore the burning desire to feel him inside her again, to fill her once more. _"Damn it, body, stop reacting to him!"_

He grinned, his bloodied lips making him look like a madman, setting her blood on fire. "From what I understand, I've marked you like a Saiyan, making you mine. Honestly, I don't care for it, since I'm not a Saiyan at all, but ignoring my instincts is driving me wild. The fact that _he_ got to touch you, like he thinks he can have you-"

"Sorry, Black, but you don't own me," Towa interrupted, wanting him to remove his hands from her waist while also wanting his hands to roam her body, to touch her heated skin and bring her to the plateau of pleasure.

"No, perhaps not, but I am sure I can do things to you that your pet can only dream of," Black retorted, lust making his head spin. His godly superiority and mission begged to kill her while she was within reach, but his Saiyan instincts overrode it with the aching hunger to reclaim her as his own. It was such a conflicting mess in his head; he hated it that he felt like he couldn't control his instincts properly – he was a fucking god, he should have some better fucking decorum of control! It infuriated Black that his body reacted like this around this damn mortal, but his instincts had claimed her as his mate, they recognised her as the mother of his child; he wanted to refuse these basic, lustful thoughts, disgusting ideas that only mortals should possess, not gods, and yet his body had an insatiable need for Towa that was desperate to be fulfilled.

He should just damn well kill her – if anything, it might stop his head from being fucked up by her, but the hardness in his pants was bordering on painful and his hips had started slowly moving against her in an attempt to relieve that ache, like it had a mind of its own. And while the memory of their fuck left a disgusting taste in Black's mouth, if he wanted to be truly honest with himself, a small part had enjoyed the copulation – it was a part he did his best to suppress, but being here in Towa's presence, with another man's smell on her, on his mark that had claimed her, that small part was unrestrained as it surged full force with his Saiyan instincts.

"That would imply that you're man enough," Towa said, her hands itching to touch him. The feel of him against her awakened something inside her and she wanted to throw caution to the wind and relieve their encounter, but she was doing her best to show some restraint – it just simply wouldn't do to fuck the father of her child right near a battlefield, especially not after his threats to kill her and Eikyu, but damn it, his presence was driving her wild with lustful need. "I don't think you-"

His lips slammed against her, cutting her off, and Towa's eyes widened in shock, especially when his tongue entered her mouth with desperate need. She tasted her own blood and it set her hormones ablaze, her hands rushing into his wild hair to grip his scalp, her body pushing against his to feel as much of him as she could. His hands groped her breasts, fingers biting into her flesh through her clothes and she hooked one leg around his hips, granting him access to grind against her wet core. She moaned against his mouth, each movement of his hips against her sending a wave of desire through her body to pool at her slick cunt, soaking her pants, as his hands slipped inside her top and played with her sensitive nipples, eliciting a groan from Towa as she arched her body, pushing even closer against him, if that was possible, her hips rocking against his, but merely feeling him did nothing – she wanted him to fill her, to ease this lustful agony she felt.

They were consumed by their need for each other, oblivious to the battle raging nearby, even though a small part at the back of Towa's mind was telling her to stop, to resist her urges and think of Mira, but she was already too far gone, wanting nothing but Black. For his part, he too felt the urge to tear away in disgust and end the Demoness' life, but his Saiyan instincts were purring in delight as he tasted her, his hands on her skin and he wanting nothing more than to bury himself deep inside her until they reached their climax.

That was the filthy, yet pleasurable idea – until Black was suddenly smashed away from Towa and he hurtled through the air, twisting his body around so he could land on his face and snarl at the intruder. Towa wasn't sure she should feel relieved or frustrated at the interruption. Meanwhile, Black was enraged, whether from being disrupted or at himself for succumbing to the chains of lust like a pathetic mortal once more, he wasn't sure, but he was not in the mood right now and he had the boiling need to fight.

"Who the fuck are you?" Black demanded, and he noticed, with relief, that his erection had disappeared, replaced by the rage that threatened to overtake him.

The Dark Saiyan removed his mask of his own accord to reveal himself. His features were similar to Black's, but his most distinguishable feature was his wild white hair, embellished with two black blades of hair. His dark eyes were full of malice and his mouth was turned upwards in a sneer towards Black, two small black spikes adorning his chin.

"My name is Xicor. I thought you would remember me…Father."


	10. Son of the West

A/N: If anyone is interested, I have finally uploaded a third instalment of Divinity Unleashed on Ao3, so more TowaBlack sexual shenanigans.

* * *

Mira growled as he scarcely dodged Hatchiyack's colossal fist, although several Demons and even a few Tuffles weren't so lucky. The Demon Android fired his Galick Beam Cannon at the humongous target, but the beam barely fazed the Tuffle Machine, like it'd been nothing more than an irritating gnat.

" _What is it doing? Why can't any of my attacks affect it?"_ Mira wondered, watching Hatchiyack get bombarded with multitudes and multitudes of energy waves, as the Demons sought to destroy the Tuffle Machine. _"This creature must have a weakness…everything does!"_

Demigra struck Hatchiyack with his Energy Jet, finally toppling the giant. The ground splintered from the impact, cracks widening like fault lines and Demigra followed up with the Seasoning Arrow, trying to destroy the Tuffle Machine while he could. The Time Breakers followed suit, all joining together to destroy the giant, although it left them vulnerable to the Tuffles. Hatchiyack bellowed as it rose, a rumble that shook the earth, and it leapt into the air to complete its Revenger Charge – curling into a ball, the titanic beast unleashed the Revenger Cannon, bathing the battlefield in emerald energy that obliterated anything caught in the path. Mira had flown out of the way in the nick of time, incensed that he'd nearly been killed by the Tuffle Machine, as Demons and Tuffle alike were vaporised by the power of the Gigantic Revenger Cannon.

"Hatchiyack, what are you doing?" Baby cried in astonishment, half of his own forces instantly wiped out by his bodyguard. "You fool, you've just weakened us!"

The Tuffle Machine simply roared triumphantly, ignoring the cries of its master, and it threw a punch at Demigra. The Demon Wizard dodged the fist, using his staff to fire energy blasts into the monster's face. Hatchiyack bellowed in annoyance and hurled a massive ki blast that narrowly missed Demigra by mere inches.

" _Perhaps a higher power is needed,"_ Demigra thought as he weaved through the air to avoid Hatchiyack's fists. _"I detest taking on that form, but this beast is relentless."_

"Hatchiyack, we are pressing forward!" Baby shouted at the colossus, the remainder of the Tuffle Army regrouping. "Go to the Demons base; we will destroy them at their own home!"

Hatchiyack rumbled in acknowledgement and launched into the air, as Baby and the remains of his fleet followed; shooting down any Demon stragglers they could as they left.

"No, we can't let them get to the Castle!" Demigra cried and he opened a wormhole. "On me! we must get there before they do!"

King Vegeta, Robelu and Gravy were amongst the remainder of the Time Breakers as they flocked to their commander and entered the wormhole, travelling through time and space towards the Demon Castle. Mira, meanwhile, surveyed the battlefield with a frown.

" _Where is Towa?"_

-X-

Towa felt embarrassed as she fixed her clothing and used her magic to erase the evidence of her arousal from the crotch of her pants, but her magic couldn't erase it from her system. Her heart was still pounding, although the lust was slowly fading from her mind. She felt foolish for almost giving in to Black once more, ruled by her damned hormones; hell, she could say she felt humiliated by the ordeal and that humiliation morphed into anger – she wanted him to suffer for having such a damn effect on her and she turned her attention to Black facing off against Demigra's secret project.

Wait…did the project just call Black 'Father'?

"I'm sorry; did you just call me 'Father'?" Black questioned. "I can assure you that I have only sired one child…and it's a girl…I think. I cannot be your father; you must be deluded."

"Denying it won't help you," Xicor grinned savagely. "I still aim to destroy you to prove my superiority…by doing so, I will prove that I am the greatest warrior to have ever graced the universe, such is my birth right!"

Black frowned for a moment, then tossed his head back in an uproar of laughter. "Oh my, what poor fool has been filling your head with nonsense, boy? I am not someone you can tangle with and hope to best – I am a god!"

Xicor sneered. "So you like to think, but you don't have the blood of the Kai running through your veins."

"No, but I have the soul and mind of one, so allow me to demonstrate my superiority."

He fired a Power Ball and Xicor vanished – Black dodged the punch and drove his fist into Xicor's gut. A punch to the face sent Xicor flying and Black chased after him, driving home another punch. However, Xicor grinned and Black frowned: were his strikes not having any effect or was this Saiyan simply a masochist? It didn't matter to Black at all, but it was a little unnerving to see a mortal enjoy getting attacked by a god. A punch to Xicor's chest hurled him into the sky and Black closed the gap, launching into a kick – Xicor blocked the blow and grinned sinisterly.

"My turn," he growled and he slammed a punch against Black's jaw.

Towa watched the battle, wondering if she should assist in any way, but this Xicor seemed to be handling himself quite well as he landed blows against Black's body. Still, a slight advantage wouldn't hurt and she raised her staff – and Mira appeared beside her.

"There you are," he cried. "I've been looking for-" he frowned as his nostrils flared and he looked to the battle, spotted Black and turned furious, raging eyes onto Towa. "He touched you again! You were consorting with him – I can smell him all over you!"

"Shut up!" Towa snapped. "I don't have time for your shit and I don't care for it right now. Why don't you take your frustrations out on Black instead of me? He's right there and he's distracted, so here's your opportunity, Mira!"

"The Tuffles annihilated our forces and are on their way to the Demon Castle – where the Dragonballs are. I came to find you to defend our home, but found you with the stench-"

"Stow it," she cut him off and opened a wormhole. "Black is wrapped up with Demigra's pet project and won't bother us; we need to deal with the Tuffles first. Focus your rage on that."

She stepped into the portal and the enraged Mira followed, steam literally blowing from his nose. At the same time, Xicor grinned as he punched Black in the face again. Growling, Black retaliated and Xicor ducked, punching him in the stomach and followed up with a kick to Black's ribs. The body thief floated out of reach, a hand to his injured ribs – he hadn't expected such power from a mortal, but perhaps the claims of Kai blood wasn't a lie, but even still, how could this mortal be strong enough to stand up and even hurt him?

"I'm impressed," Black growled, pushing himself past the pain and to use it as power instead. "Very few can measure up to me…but this is where your fun ends and mine begins. Kaio-ken times four!"

"What?" Xicor cried in disbelief and Black's Kaio-ken encrusted fist smashed into his face.

The white-haired Saiyan was blasted through the sky and Black pursued, landing another three blows – Xicor snarled and raised his hand, firing a green energy wave at close range – Black zipped around it and socked Xicor again, his speed and strength too much for the younger Saiyan. Another blow and another one – Xicor swung his fist in frustration, the powerful strikes slowly taking their toll on him, but Black dodged the punch with ease and drilled him in the solar plexus – Xicor gasped in agony, pain blossoming from the impact and Black followed up with a wheel kick that made Xicor feel like his jaw had been broken. Black never relented, pulverizing Xicor's torso with brutality and a smirk on his face – this boy was clearly nothing more than a pretender, attempting to claim relations as if that gave him purpose and stature – ha, what foolishness.

A kick to Xicor's gut gave the younger Saiyan some space and without hesitation, he cupped his hands to his side, swiftly charging and unleashing a Revenge Kamehameha – endowed with the Kaio-ken, Black blasted straight through the energy wave and cracked Xicor's jaw once more.

" _But…I'm the strongest!"_ Xicor thought desperately as his 'father' smashed a fist into his ribs. _"Mother said I am the strongest in the universe – how can I be bested by my father?"_

An overhead blow smashed Xicor into the ground below and Black smirked with delight as he cupped his hands to his side, ready to purge this nuisance from the face of the universe.

"What a disappointment. It seems you are simply a mortal with delusions of grandeur; after all, if you were truly my son, you wouldn't be such a weakling," Black called out. "Now, it's time for you to perish, _son_."

Xicor pounded the ground in fury, enraged that his own strength wasn't enough; he should be defeating his father in battle, not the other way around. Everything his mother had told him while he was growing up felt like a lie, but Xicor squashed that thought; his mother wouldn't lie to him. She told him he was the strongest, that he was stronger than his own father and it was his strength alone that could bring balance to the universe and no one else's. Emotions surged and crashed against each other like a furious ocean and Xicor pushed himself to his feet – he had to defeat his father, it was the only way he could secure his future – the rage roiled beneath his skin, threatening to break loose as the ground beneath him cracked and splintered from his increasing power.

"Oh, someone is getting mad," Black cackled. "Ride on the wings of your frustration to the Other World – Kamehameha!"

The black energy wave gushed towards Xicor as he bellowed his fury, a crater growing beneath his feet as the dam wall crumbled under his flowing power and his aura turned gold – the Kamehameha slammed into him like a waterfall of energy and an explosion erupted – the smoke cleared and Black gasped in shock to see Xicor still standing, clearly unharmed – his hair (save for his 'devil horns') and eyebrows golden like his raging aura and his eyes emerald – and a savage grin spread across the younger Saiyan's face as the power of a Super Saiyan flowed through his body.

"Now it's my turn."

-X-

Towa and Mira returned to her laboratory to the sounds of a squalling baby and the former immediately went to her child, plucking her from Putine's arms, while Mira went to the tank that held the tiny foetus of his child. Eikyu calmed down as soon as she recognised her mother's familiar scent, although she wiggled restlessly for a moment.

"Are we under attack?" Putine asked.

"We will be soon," Towa replied. "I need you to assist Demigra; Baby broke through our defences and is on his way here. How are the Dragonballs coming along?"

"They are almost ready, but if Baby is coming like you say, then we may be just short of time."

"He won't get in," Mira stated, still staring at the tank. "He can try, but he will perish."

"Regardless, we have to make sure he perishes," Towa said. "Baby has lasted too long and cost us numerous times. If he so wishes to fall upon his sword, then we must help hold it for him."

"I'll make him regret ever turning against us."

"Good. Now go."

Mira turned and left without even a glance at Towa, which Putine noticed, but the urgency of the matter kept her from asking anything; instead, she followed after Mira, while Towa remained, Eikyu still in her arms. The baby looked at her mother with large, violet eyes and Towa returned a small, fond smile.

"We are living in a volatile time, little one, but you'll always be safe."

She used a variation of her Time Bullet, holding Eikyu within the protective bubble, and left the laboratory and the Castle, joining Demigra and the rest of the Time Breakers.

"He is there on the horizon," Demigra pointed out. "How much longer until the Dragonballs are ready?"

"We are almost there," Towa replied. "Perhaps you should pretty up if we're to stop them."

Demigra's lip curled at the minor insult, but he knew she had a point. "Only if you could actually fight instead of sucking face with your lover while valuable soldiers died."

"Only if you can actually keep a leash on your pet projects instead of losing control over them so they end up fighting my _lover_ instead of helping us."

"Hmph, you're one to talk."

Towa would've retorted, but a Final Flash blazed through the air, aimed at the Castle. It struck the energy shield, which shook under the force, and Demigra spread his arms wide, his sceptre getting absorbed into his body as he finally transformed into his Giant Demon God form.

"About time you became useful," Towa smirked.

-X-

Black slammed into the side of a mountain, splintering his surroundings, and a kick punched him straight through the mountain and a second and a third. He flared his Kaio-ken aura and blazed forth with the aura-encrusted Aura Slide – Xicor easily dodged the blade and sank his fist into Black's gut, literally knocking the wind out of the body thief, leaving him surprised by Xicor's power. Xicor opened his hand, prepped a ki ball and blasted Black away.

" _Damn this heathen!"_ Black growled. _"With such a basic transformation, he has exceeded my own limits. This cannot continue; else everything I have planned will be ruined! Perhaps it is time I truly test my own limits and remind him who the strongest really is."_

"What, no Super Saiyan transformation of your own?" Xicor sneered. "Mother told me that was how you defeated Frieza and now, you won't even use it. Scared you'll hurt me?"

"I don't need such a gaudy transformation to defeat you, boy."

"Oh, is that so? Settling for the technique of a lesser Kai instead? Whatever you think works better for you, old man, in the end, it will be pointless and the outcome will be the same: you will bow at my feet."

"Don't think for one minute you have me on the ropes. I'm not done yet. Kaio-ken times ten!"

His aura magnified with the power surge and Black fired several Power Balls, followed by a final, large energy sphere. Xicor lazily batted them aside with two fingers and flicked the last one back at his 'father'. It exploded against Black's chest and Xicor fired several ki blasts of his own to add to the pain. He then created a sword of green ki and stabbed it into the cloud of smoke – there was a shout of pain and the smoke cleared to reveal Black pierced through his right chest, the Kaio-ken extinguished.

"Mother said you were strong…maybe she was saying that to help me become stronger," Xicor said as he wiggled the sword, creating bursts of pain in Black. "Either way, you're weak, Father."

"Your mother is a foolish whore," Black growled, trying to ignore the pain pulsing in his body.

"You don't get to speak of her that way!" the younger Saiyan snarled as he ripped the sword away and slashed Black across the abdomen. A second, diagonal slash drew blood on Black's torso and flayed his grey tunic. "My mother is the Western Supreme Kai – you should show some respect!"

"I don't know who that is and your blabbering is giving me a headache – shut your mouth in the presence of a god!"

The Kaio-ken aura reappeared and Black launched at Xicor with the Aura Slide – Xicor twisted his body out of the way, grabbed Black's arm and used his momentum to hurl him towards the ground. Black slammed into the rocks with such force that it created a shallow crater around his body. Xicor sneered in disgust and launched the Revenge Kamehameha, burying Black deeper into the Earth's surface with the massive green energy wave. His body broken and bloodied, Black was struggling to cling to the bare shreds of consciousness – he had been defeated by a mortal and rage burned inside him along with humiliation.

Where did this mortal come from and how could he be so strong? Was it because he was Goku's offspring? That would make sense, given his innate strength compared to Goku's own vast power before Black stole his body. If only Black could reclaim his true power…

He was fading now and the rage simmered as the darkness closed in on him – Black relaxed his mind, trying to keep as calm as possible against the embers of rage; it had done nothing for him lately and perhaps a sense of tranquillity could be the way to locate any lost caches of power within his body.

"Finished already, old man?" Xicor sneered, hovering over the cavernous crater with his arms crossed over his chest. "How disappointing – Mother painted you as a powerful warrior, yet you were merely child's play. No wonder the universe is so weak; eradicating you is the first step to bringing balance back to the universe."

There was a spark of energy and Xicor frowned – what was his 'father' trying to do now? He had to move when the massive pillar of indigo-coloured fire burst up from the crater, incinerating the air and Xicor found himself parched from the close proximity. What was this power and why couldn't he sense it? What was this intense pressure he was feeling radiating from the flames?

The earth rumbled and Xicor glared intently into the crater, as Black rose up from the depths of the crust, wreathed in the indigo flames as they were absorbed into him, reforming into a blazing aura – his hair became refined and turned the same colour of his aura, his physique skinner than before and when he opened his eyes, they were enlarged and indigo, as the surface wounds healed with a flash of godly flames. Xicor stared in horror, jaw agape, as Black looked down on him.

"What – what is that?" Xicor cried, grappling to comprehend this new form. He couldn't sense Black at all, even though he was staring right at him, and the pressure bursting forth from Black threatened to overwhelm Xicor. "What are you? What have you done?!"

"I told you, I am a god," Black responded calmly, but with an uncompromising undertone. "And this is the power of a Super Saiyan God; my godly soul and this mortal body have ascended further together, allowing me to reclaim this lost power. I still have yet to return to my full potential, but this form alone is more than enough to handle an arrogant upstart like you. Send your mother my regards."

He vanished and Xicor was still left dazed; he felt a presence behind him, but it was too late – Black elbowed him in the back and Xicor saw stars bursting before his eyes. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't do anything, the agony was all-consuming – even his mind was blank, unable to gather a single, coherent thought. The pain threatened to drown him, but Xicor struggled through the fog of agony, trying to regain his bearings. Black appeared in front of him and with a single punch to Xicor's face, he blasted the younger Saiyan across the landscape.

One mountain collapsed, two mountains, three, four, five – ten mountains were obliterated by Xicor's body as he finally came to a rest in an eleventh. He groaned and clapped a hand to his face, fighting against the swarm of darkness buzzing around his consciousness. He couldn't believe the sheer power his 'father' exuded – it terrified him, to witness a power as amazing as that – but he could not just roll over and submit to his 'father's strength, no, he had to beat him – but how?

Xicor gasped when Black appeared before him, a stern look on his face as his indigo aura blazed around him; that shock turned to fury and Xicor lunged, throwing a punch. Black dodged it easily, dodged the second punch and he lightly tapped Xicor on the chest, dropping him on his ass. Xicor snarled and flared his golden aura and tried again; Black casually backhanded him and a huge trench was shorn into the ground from Xicor's body. The younger Saiyan grimaced in pain, but he refused to surrender and he whirled around with his Revenge Spirit Sword; Black caught the energy blade and crushed it to smithereens. Xicor gasped and attempted a Revenge Kamehameha; Black moved with blinding speed and landed a crushing blow to Xicor's chest that once again blasted the air from his lungs and left him caught of a web of pain. He fell to his knees, but Black caught him with a single finger under his chin and easily lifted Xicor up, suspending him off the ground.

"Normally, I would kill you, since you are a mortal who pushed me to this form and that kind of power I cannot allow to live," Black spoke coolly, his finger still under Xicor's chin…not that the younger Saiyan would dare do anything. "But you are the son of a god and while an abomination like you should again perish, I have an offer to make you instead…unless you want to keep fighting and greet death at my hands, in which case, I will happily oblige. So, _Xicor_ , what is your decision?"

Xicor grappled with his decision, but ultimately, he powered down to his base form. "I'm listening."

-X-

The gigantic Hatchiyack bellowed as it slammed its fist against the shield, creating a web of cracks with the impact. From behind the safety of the shield, Demigra led the Time Breakers into picking off the remainders of the Tuffles. Baby snarled in frustration, both from watching his forces get picked off without any offensive of their own and that he'd lost half of his army due to Hatchiyack's foolishness. He had an opportunity to destroy the Demons and his bodyguard had majorly fucked up in the process; of course, Baby didn't expect much intelligence from a brutish monster, but it was still infuriating.

"Take it down!" he roared at his soldiers as they blasted the shield to no avail. "Damn it!"

"Having some problems, Baby?" Towa cackled from the safety of the shield. She released a multi-beam stream of dark energy from her staff, increasing the power of the Time Breakers. Their efficiency at sniping the Machine Mutants doubled from the dark energy increase, which served to aggravate Baby even further.

"Fuck this," he grumbled and gained some altitude to start preparing the Revenge Death Ball once more.

Towa saw this and bombarded Baby with a series of ki blasts; he resisted them, focusing his effort on his ultimate attack, as Oren and Kamin swerved in front of him to act as defence, while Hatchiyack continued pounding at the shield, despite the efforts of the Time Breakers to stop the Machine. Finally, Demigra ventured from the safety of the shield and slammed into Hatchiyack with his Energy Jet, causing the Tuffle Machine to bellow as it stumbled from the impact and collapsed to its knees.

"No!" Baby cried. "Children, stop him!"

Oren and Kamin shot towards Demigra, pelting him with ki blasts, and with a wave of his hand, Demigra sent the twins flying. Hatchiyack was slowly rising, but the Demon Wizard slammed into the Machine again, intent on keeping it down. Baby growled in frustration, completed the Revenge Death Ball and hurled it. The energy shield sizzled when the attack collided with it and Baby shouted as he exerted a fraction of his power; the shield resisted, but ultimately disintegrated.

"Now's our chance, Tuffles! Destroy the Demons!"

"You'll need all the luck you can get to achieve that," Towa said; the distraction worked and King Vegeta blindsided Baby, pressing a ki blast to his face.

Oren and Kamin launched a simultaneous assault upon Towa as a result, although Putine swiftly came to her aid, barraging Kamin with her ice magic, leaving Towa in a one-on-one against Oren.

"Aren't you an interesting specimen?" the Time Witch mused as she deflected his strikes. "I wonder if I could make some use from you."

Oren smirked. "Is talking your compensation for such weak fighting skills? I'm not even trying."

She bristled and fired an energy blast from her staff; he laughed as he dodged it. Meanwhile, Kamin nailed Putine in the head with a kick, dropping the ice sorceress, and the Tuffle joined her twin brother by striking Towa in the back with an elbow strike.

"Don't bother exerting yourself, sister," Oren said. "This one isn't worth the effort."

He yelped when Mira grabbed him in a full-nelson hold and Towa hit Kamin with a Time Bullet, putting the hurt on the Tuffle. Mira was suddenly forced to let Oren go due to a kidney shot from Hit and Oren laughed as he blasted the Demon Android. Mira snarled and got struck again by Hit, as Towa danced around Kamin's punches and levelled her with a kick to the stomach.

Black and Xicor appeared, the former still in his Super Saiyan God form, the latter a Super Saiyan, and the Saiyan-Kai grinned at the battlefield below. "You see, boy, the violent mortals waging war? They are beneath us, a pestilence upon the universe and it is our duty to see them erased. Show me how it's done. Show them the true power in the universe."

"Very well, but do you want me to spare her?" Xicor asked, pointing at Towa. "You two seem close."

Black glared at him. "If you're going to be insufferable yourself, I'll take back my offer of sparing you."

"Just making sure," the younger Saiyan said and he fired off a Revenge Kamehameha.

"What the hell?" Towa cried, seeing Black's transformed state and she quickly flew out of range of the Revenge Kamehameha.

Mira was among the casualties of Time Breakers and Tuffles caught in the energy wave, while Hit managed to use a Time Skip to avoid the blast, leaving Demigra shocked at Xicor's allegiance.

"But how? You were under my spell!" he cried.

Xicor sneered. "I am the son of a god. Your magic could never work on me. I only pretended to be under your spell in order to get close to my father. We've talked it out and now we've decided that each and every single one of you mortals needs to die in order to allow the universe to blossom."

"Oh great," Towa muttered. "Black Junior."

At that moment, Dende completed the creation of the Dark Dragonballs and they flashed with a brilliant light as they rose up and suddenly shot out from the Castle, stretching across the sky in all directions and vanishing beyond the horizon. Black watched them go, intrigued by them, and just as he decided to annihilate the mortals before searching for the Dragonballs, he witnessed Mechikabura hobbling out of the Castle.

"Who is that crusty raisin?"

Mechikabura observed everyone before him with a wide smile, unfazed by their power levels, even Super Saiyan God Goku Black. There was a sense of eerie stillness that had befallen the battlefield, everyone watching the Demon Emperor for whatever he planned to do; even Black was unsure of what to make of the elderly Demon, for while he looked frail, Black could detect the well of energy that made even him feel nervous.

"Hit," Baby finally ordered. "Kill the old man."

Hit hesitated for a moment, but then he shot at Mechikabura and Time-Skipped, then struck the Demon Emperor dead in the heart with a Flash Fist Crush. On any other being, that would have instantly killed the recipient, but Mechikabura simply fixed Hit with that calm, sinister smile. The assassin suddenly felt extremely nervous as the Demon Emperor raised his hand – and with a simple energy wave at point-blank range, he obliterated Hit, leaving nothing behind of the assassin.


	11. One Star of the Emperor

A/N: Apologies for the hiatus; I had my focus on other projects, not to mention I had a bout of block with this story. Hopefully, the time away has cleared that up and I can continue this story to its end.

* * *

"No," Baby whispered breathlessly, awed by Mechikabura's display of power. "No, it's not possible."

Even Demigra and Towa were left stunned from the act, never expecting that kind of power to come from Mechikabura; Towa knew her grandfather to be quite powerful in his prime, but to obliterate a being as strong as Hit that easily as an old man took her breath away. If he had that much power now, then he would be truly devastating in his prime.

"Fall back," Baby murmured and then he shouted to his remaining soldiers. "Fall back now!"

"Oh, really?" Oren lamented. "We could take him. He'll make for an enjoyable fight."

"Don't be a fool, Oren. Retreat now, damn it."

The boy pouted, but he promptly changed his mind when Mechikabura shot another energy wave that annihilated several Machine Mutants nearby – Oren felt the heat from the energy wave and decided that perhaps Baby was right – and he joined his twin as they flew to Baby's side. The remainder of the Tuffles flew after their leader in retreat, including the lumbering giant Hatchiyack, who reverted to its regular size, as Mechikabura took shots at them, downing them one by one or in small groups. Baby turned around, while still flying away, and fired a Galick Gun as a distraction; Mechikabura smirked and took aim at the Saiyan-Tuffle, firing a small, yet deadly energy wave. Baby howled as he was swept up in the energy wave, his smoking body tumbling towards the ground, while the remnants of his forces made their escape.

"Now that the vermin have been dealt with," Mechikabura said, turning towards Black and Xicor. "It's time we focus on the important matters: namely you, Goku Black."

"Who are you?" Black demanded.

The Demon Emperor did a small bow. "I am Mechikabura, Emperor of the Demon Realm, and I-" he was cut off when Xicor threw a punch at him; Mechikabura caught his fist and applied a little pressure, preventing Xicor from escaping his grasp. The Saiyan threw his other fist, but Mechikabura caught that as well and slammed two vicious head-butts into Xicor's face, stunning the Saiyan hybrid. "It's rude to interrupt your superiors, boy. Do not do it again."

He pressed his hand to Xicor's chest and fired an energy wave that hurled the hybrid through the air; Xicor crash-landed, his clothes ripped, cuts ravaging his body and he grimaced as he reverted to his base form, slipping into unconsciousness. Mechikabura smirked – and Black punched him in the face. The surprise blow actually staggered the Demon Emperor and Black hit him with a kick to the jaw.

"Don't just sit there, attack him!" Towa barked at the Time Breakers.

"No!" Black snarled, whirling around and flinging his hand out wide, creating an explosion of ki that killed any weak beings caught in its path. Demigra barrelled through it and swiped the Saiyan-Kai with a giant, clawed fist; Black responded with a kick to Demigra's ribs that blasted him away.

King Vegeta fired an energy wave; Black punched him and the brainwashed monarch was sent flying from the battlefield. Numerous Time Breakers converged upon Black, but he flared his aura and incinerated them, a shark-like grin on his face; that simple move deterred the other Time Breakers from attacking him, save for Gravy and Putine as they unleashed their magic upon Black; he moved too fast for them and dropped them both with a single blow each.

"You vile mortals can never touch a god and will only burn in my light like the heathens you are."

"A god, you say?" Mechikabura called and Black turned to him. "I find that quite interesting. I have met gods before and you're not one of them, Goku Black."

"Of course, a mortal like yourself wouldn't understand the truth. You are blind-"

"You talk as if you are better than me," the Demon Emperor cut in and Towa smirked as Black bristled at the interruption. "Don't be condescending, especially towards those who are superior to you…to people like me."

"You think that by easily defeating Xicor, you're my superior?" Black sneered. He was trying to maintain a façade; he'd felt Mechikabura's power and something about it didn't feel right to Black, but he refused to be intimidated by it. "That whelp is a weakling, nothing more. His power compares nothing to mine."

"You are quite assured with your strength, aren't you? Don't get me wrong, Black, you are strong; I've felt your power within your sweet baby daughter. Towa chose a decent progenitor for her child, which turned out to be an excellent decision-"

"I didn't choose him, it was a matter of survival that turned out beneficial," Towa muttered to herself.

"-But that's not the point. You are strong, yes, but your power pales in comparison to mine and I am not even in my youth anymore."

Black sneered. "Care to test that? I am a Supreme Kai, a fighting prodigy from my universe, in the body of one of the strongest Saiyans in the universe. My power is constantly growing."

Towa rolled her eyes and made a face. "Fucking men and their jaw-jacking pissing contests. Just kill him already, Grandfather."

"Come," Mechikabura prompted with his hand and Black obliged – the Demon Emperor stopped the punch with the palm of his hand; Black gasped. "See? Now, imagine if I was young again."

The forceful blow to Black's heart had stars bursting before his eyes; his heart stopped for a moment, there was no air in his lungs and he was drowning in an ocean of suffering. Cocooned within, Black tried to fight his way through the fog, as Mechikabura gently pressed his hand to Black's abdomen – and released an energy wave that drilled straight through him. Black choked on his own blood, his Super Saiyan God form evaporated and he crumbled like paper, blood spilling from his body. He gritted his bloodstained teeth, refusing to surrender – Mechikabura's boot crashed down upon his face and Black yielded to the darkness.

"Well…that was disappointing," Towa remarked.

-X-

Worming his way through the suffocating miasma of oblivion, Goku Black finally came to – and immediately wished he didn't. While the pain in his abdomen had receded to a dull ache, that wasn't the issue: he was bare-chested and restrained to the wall in what appeared to be Towa's laboratory – and speak of the demon, she was standing before him with a wide grin, a baby in her arms.

"Oh look, Eikyu, Daddy's awake," the Time Witch cooed. "Why don't you give him a hug?"

She held Eikyu to Black's torso, mimicking a hug with the baby, as Black growled at her. "Keep that infernal thing away from me. An abomination like that has no right to touch me."

"Aw, darling, sounds like Daddy's in a bad mood," Towa continued as she cuddled her daughter. "Perhaps a few rounds of having his energy drained will make him feel better."

As if on cue, the bindings on Black's wrists and ankles glow and he snarled as energy was drained from his body. It only lasted for about five seconds, but it felt like five hours and it was an experience he did not enjoy and did not wish for a repeat. Dammit, he only just got his Super Saiyan God powers back; he couldn't afford to lose them again, especially not with the Demon Emperor present.

"The more energy it drains from you, the stronger those bonds become," Towa smirked in self-satisfaction.

"I truly hate you and I cannot wait to slaughter you and your kin."

"Is this your way of flirting with me? Look, it was fun last time, but I did not enjoy the pregnancy thing, so let's not go there, okay?" He growled, enraged by her teasing, but she pressed a finger to his lips. "Hush. Let's not lose our cool in front of the baby…you're setting a bad example for her."

"She means nothing to me."

"And here I was thinking you two could bond…actually, now that I think about it, you can look after her for me while I figure out where the Dark Dragonballs went; it's not like you're in any position to refuse."

She set Eikyu on the play mat residing near Black's shackled feet; he glared murderously at his child, but she was oblivious as she found her hands to be far more interesting, leaving Towa to return to her nearby work station, where Putine was assisting her. Black glowered at the baby, Mechikabura's words echoing in his head; he could sense the immense potential power within the infant and while there was a small part that was proud due to that power coming from him, for the most part he felt revulsion at Eikyu's half-mortal status. He felt disgusted and tainted that he'd produced this child with a demon – in his eyes, his daughter was the filthier abomination between her and Xicor; at least with Xicor, as a child of Goku and a Supreme Kai, Black could respect his bloodline, but there was no hope for this infant.

"Ah, much better," Towa announced happily and Black tore his eyes from his daughter to see Mira rise from the workbench, albeit without his trademark armour and skirt.

"You…rebuilt him?"

"No, I had a spare clone nearby and simply inserted his core," Towa replied. "And now we're off to gather the Dragonballs; once Mechikabura regains his full power, everything will change around here."

"You believe that is wise to allow that demon to have such immense power?" Black asked.

"Yes, of course. Without his power, we will not be able to revive the Demon Realm."

"Reviving the Demon Realm is a terrible idea. You'll corrupt and warp the universe with your vile realm and destroy the beauty that I have worked so hard to maintain."

"All the more reason to do it. Imagine, a world of thorns and rage; such beauty that an uptight Kai like yourself will never understand," Towa said. "The Demon Realm is my home and it will be the world our daughter will inherit…surely you don't want to deny her her rightful place in the world."

"I cannot allow you to do that," Black growled.

"You're not in any position to argue. Mechikabura will be restored to his youth and regain his full power; the Demon Realm will be revived, as it rightfully should be; you are nothing more than a power source for us and once you've served your purpose, your life will be forfeited. You may look down on us, Black, but don't underestimate us…after all, who is the one being held captive?"

"You think these bindings will hold me for long? I'll escape, just like last time, and-"

"Enough with the foreplay," Mira snapped. "We need the Dragonballs. Towa, leave your pet and focus on the mission."

Towa glared at her creation, but then gave a small smile to Black. "See you when I return, dear," she pecked him on the cheek, simply just to piss both him and Mira off and sauntered from her laboratory. "Don't wait up for me."

"Are you really going to leave this blasted child here with me?" Black demanded at their retreating backs.

Towa weaved her hand and Eikyu was warped to her mother's arms. "Playtime's over, Daddy, now it's time for the child support," she laughed as the bindings drained Black once more.

His roars echoed as they made their way to Mechikabura's makeshift throne room; Demigra, Robelu, Gravy and King Vegeta were also waiting, as Towa bowed to the Demon Emperor, shielding her daughter from Demigra's glaring eyes.

"Any news on the Dragonballs?" Mechikabura inquired.

"We have discovered them, but they have travelled through time and space," Towa reported. "Not only that, but they've appeared to have fused with certain individuals; reclaiming them will not be as easy as we think."

"Ah, I see. Well, what can we do about that?"

Red demonic energy outlined his body; two forks of energy branched from his body, creating twin clouds of dark smoke as Mechikabura broke through dimensions and reached into the depths of the Demon Realm – the smoke cleared, revealing two demons: one pink-skinned and short, dressed in indigo overalls and wielding a doubled-edged sword; the other lean with silvery hair, a dark Scythe in hand, practically the size of his body.

"I present the Demon Gods, Salsa and Shroom," Mechikabura announced. "But they will not be the only Demon Gods to undertake this journey."

The demonic energy expanded from his body once more and pierced Towa, Putine and Gravy; all three gasped as their bodies were flooded with immense demonic energy, transforming them into Demon Gods. Towa felt breathless under the exhilarating power of the Demon God; this was power beyond her imagination and it was brimming at her fingertips, charging through her veins and making her head spin with the sheer strength – she had ascended to the realms of godhood, breaching the barrier that had long been forbidden and inaccessible to her; no longer was she a mere mortal, for she now had power that could make the entire Time Patrol, Chronoa included, quiver and bow to her. Eikyu's wail brought her out of her reverie and she smiled at her daughter.

"It's okay, my dear," Towa cooed to the baby and Eikyu quietened. "Mommy's a lot stronger now."

Mechikabura wheezed once the transference was complete; he choked, his chest rattling as he desperately gasped for air, lungs begging for oxygen, and Towa quickly handed Eikyu to Putine before she rushed to her grandfather's side in concern.

"I'm fine," Mechikabura gagged. "I've used too – much power at once – I will recover – but you must hurry, Towa – get me the Dragonballs."

"Yes, my liege," Towa bowed. "We will leave immediately."

"I suggest we split up," Demigra proposed. "Cover more ground quicker; with the Dragonballs lost to the throes of history, it's only a matter of time before Chronoa sends her lackeys to interfere."

"Are you sure you can handle them this time?" Towa taunted. "You haven't had much success."

"Like you're any better?!"

"Enough!" Mechikabura wheezed. "Go – now!"

Towa glanced at her daughter and her grandfather noticed her hesitation; he motioned to the baby and Putine handed Eikyu over, as Towa opened a portal and stepped through, taking Mira, Putine, King Vegeta, and Shroom with her. Demigra harrumphed and opened his own portal, taking Robelu, Gravy and Salsa with him. Mechikabura leaned back against his throne, Eikyu nestled in his arms, and he relaxed his body to allow it to recover from the mass usage of power. Once they had gathered the Dragonballs, it would be worth the sacrifice.

-X-

His struggles against the bindings were proving futile, as they continued to drain his energy at regular intervals. The fact that he, a god, had been captured by mortals to be used as an energy battery enraged him – it fuelled his power and despite the weight of fatigue bearing down on him from the loss of his energy, despite the pain it caused him – Black shouted as he dug deep and transformed into Super Saiyan God – the power was too much for the bindings and they snapped. Black dropped from the wall, reverting to base, panting heavily as he fought against the rising wave of inertia. He had lost a fair amount of energy, not to mention the wound he'd suffered that wasn't healed and he knew he couldn't risk much fighting, especially not against someone like Mechikabura.

"The Demon Emperor," Black growled, rising to his full height now that the inertia had mostly passed. "The time will come when we will meet in battle once again and on that moment, you will fall to my hand, as any mortal should when faced with a god."

He needed to stop the Demons from gathering the Dark Dragonballs – there was not a single chance in the universe he was letting Mechikabura regain his youth and full power; it would threaten everything Black had set out to achieve. If he could obtain the Dark Dragonballs before the Demons, then it was his best chance at stopping Mechikabura for good, but first, he needed help (loathe as he was to admit that) and he needed to know the location of the Dragonballs.

" _Brace yourself, Towa, I'm coming for you."_

Moving to Towa's workbench, he tore through the equipment in search of the Dark Dragonballs' location; there was her computer, but he knew very little of the tech to be able to operate it. It was a mortal creation and such a device was disgusting to him, yet it held the information he needed. Pain throbbed through his torso as he set to work on the computer and it matched his rising frustration as he was unable to work the machine. Vexed by his failure, Black launched the computer at the wall, satisfied by its destruction and he proceeded to turn the entire laboratory upside down in a fit of rage – whether that was rage towards himself, towards Towa or Mechikabura, he didn't care, he was destroying the place.

Fuck Towa.

Gratified that the laboratory was sufficiently trashed, Black used a touch of his Kai magic to reform his gi, hissing from the pain that continued to pulse – turning Super Saiyan God for that brief moment had caused it to flare agonisingly and until he had completely healed from the grievous injury, he'd have to avoid battle or avoid tapping into his godly transformation. The realisation irritated him, but the truth was that he was no longer at the top of the food chain – a new contender had stolen his place; Black snarled at the memory of his loss.

" _Mechikabura,"_ he thought murderously. _"You may have me beat, but you will fall to me."_

Storming from the laboratory, Black callously murdered the first person he came across – a Saiyan Time Breaker – and silently moved through the castle in search of Xicor. At much as he detested the thought of needing help, he recognised the young Saiyan's strength and divine heritage and could utilise him until Xicor's use ran out.

And if Mechikabura got any stronger, then Black would need every inch of assistance to destroy him.

A squeal caught his attention and Black followed the direction of the noise – another Time Breaker fell to his Aura Slide – until he came to the outside of a room; he peeked inside and there was Mechikabura, sitting wearily on his throne and entertaining Eikyu with stars of dark magic. Black scowled at the sight of the elderly demon – something sparked inside him in witnessing his daughter in the arms of the creature who possessed such immense power – Black wasn't entirely sure if he felt concerned for his daughter's safety or if he could even identify this strange instinctive feeling he possessed, but he felt the urge to get his daughter the hell away from Mechikabura.

Unfortunately, he simply wasn't strong enough right now.

"Yes, you are an adorable creature, aren't you? You remind me so much of your mother when she was your age" Mechikabura cooed to the baby as she watched the dark magic dance before her with wide eyes. "And you will grow to be quite powerful…I can sense the power in you…but Towa is a fool if she believes you'll be the Queen of the Demon Realm. You are too young to know this, but your destiny is to serve as the tool to my ascension when I claim absolute dominance over everything. You will help me make even Zeno bow to me."

Black suppressed the growl that bubbled in his throat. He had no intention of letting Mechikabura grow any stronger and there was no way he was letting the Demon Emperor use Eikyu to achieve his goal – as much as he despised his daughter for merely existing, Black didn't want such a fate for her: death would be a better option than be a pawn in Mechikabura's game.

" _She may be a filthy mortal, but she is also half-god and that fool has no right to touch her,"_ Black thought, watching the exchange. _"The sooner I can regain my full power before he regains his own, the better. I cannot let him return to his prime."_

He silently slipped away, continuing his search for Xicor and Towa's whereabouts.

-X-

The portal opened, dispelling the travellers and Towa instantly made a face.

"Ugh, Planet Namek…not the most appealing of worlds."

To make matters worse, the planet was dying, thanks to Frieza's Death Ball, leaving only a few scarce minutes before its imminent destruction.

"Let's just get the Dragonball and leave already," Mira said, brushing past the group.

"Wow, someone's cranky," Putine sniped. "Are you upset you missed out on Demon God power?"

"I don't need some light show of a power-up when that Xicor donated his power to me."

"You bicker too much," Shroom noted. "And as entertaining as it could be, we are on a tight schedule – Master Mechikabura wants those Dragonballs and fast. I can sense one nearby."

He took off, leading the way towards the Dragonball; as it turned out, the One-Star Dark Dragonball was embedded in the chest of Final Form Frieza, who was currently locked in battle with Super Saiyan Goku. In the original timeline, Frieza was outclassed by Goku, but here, with the Dark Dragonball vastly increasing his strength, Frieza had turned the tables against Goku, potentially changing the course of history.

"Ah, how interesting," Towa said. "It seems the Dragonballs can increase one's power when fused with them…if only I could study this further." Light shimmered and two warriors appeared before the group and Towa rolled her eyes in annoyance. "And here is the Time Patrol to ruin everything as per usual. Can you buzz off?"

"What are you up to, Towa?" the Saiyan Time Patroller, Beat, asked. "What are you trying to accomplish here?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out, which is something you'll never do. Putine, Mira, discard of them. Shroom, let's get that Dragonball."

Beat powered straight up to Super Saiyan 3, while his companion, the Majin Kabra, utilised his Super Class-Up ability to greatly increase his power and transform his armour. Putine smirked as she weaved her staff, unleashing a wave of ice magic that Beat couldn't dodge; meanwhile, Mira dodged Kabra's Majin Punches and shot in for the strike, sending Kabra flying through the air. Towa dropped onto the battlefield, where Frieza had the bloodied Goku pinned beneath his foot, the Saiyan unable to escape.

"You thought you could defeat me, monkey?" Frieza snarled, compressing Goku's chest and causing him to scream in agony. "Why I feared the legend of the Super Saiyan, I'll never know; clearly, such a change in hair colour is nothing compared to the almighty Frieza!"

"Wow, that is quite an increase in power," Towa whispered to herself, awed by the display. "Unfortunately, we need that Dragonball."

"Leave that to me," Shroom said, gripping his scythe with two hands

Frieza removed his foot and raised his index finger, ready to fire a Death Beam through Goku's head and end him for good. His finger lit up – and he fired it at Shroom, who deflected it with his scythe.

"Who the hell are you?" the Emperor demanded, his eyes glowing from the power of the Dark Dragonball coursing through his body. "Can you not see that I'm busy? So rude; I absolutely have no tolerance for bad manners. I may be a terrifying warlord, but at least I know how to be polite."

"A cocky one, huh?" Shroom smirked.

"We want that Dragonball," Towa said. "You can give it to us or we'll take it by force."

"Oh, this? By all means, do your best to claim it," Frieza smirked and he raised his index finger, gathering energy for his signature Death Ball. "I am the Emperor of the Universe and you should be on your knees before me!"

He launched the Death Ball and Towa narrowly dodged it – the powerful energy sphere slammed into a hillside and erupted with violent force. She was thankful for her Demon God powers, otherwise she would've been killed – Shroom shot at Frieza and swiped with his scythe; Frieza vanished out of the way and retaliated with a Death Beam, which the Death God deflected. Towa fired a bolt of energy from her staff and it nailed Frieza in the chest – he staggered, but recovered quickly and unleashed a multitude of rapid-fire Death Beams – Shroom parried each beam with his scythe while Towa summoned a shield around herself.

"This is harder than I expected," the Time Witch growled. "Why is this harder?"

"Now, it's time for you to perish, whoever the hell you are," Frieza announced, utilising his dark power to create the Supernova, the same technique he used to vaporise Planet Vegeta – fuelled by the Dark Dragonball, the Supernova was immensely stronger than ever before.

"No, he could wipe us out," Towa cried. "Shroom, stop him!"

Shroom flew at Frieza, just as he was about to launch the Dark Supernova - and blood splashed across the terrain.

Towa gasped.

"No!"

"Oh, do you need this?" Black smirked, clutching the Dark Dragonball in his bloodstained hand.


	12. Two Star of Garlic

The tank hissed as it decompressed and opened to reveal its content; Baby Vegeta stepped out, fully healed and utterly pissed off. He had not expected the Demons to have such a powerful warrior on their side and it infuriated him to have missed that crucial piece of information.

"Report!" he barked.

Despite being used to his master's temper, the Tuffle scientist still shook with fear. "My liege, we've lost countless soldiers in that battle. I estimate over half to nearly three-quarters of our forces were decimated. Not to mention that Goku Black, who we thought was dead, has returned and obtained a form I have never seen before."

"I couldn't sense him," Baby murmured. "I felt like an ant burning in the sun – such power!" He clenched his fist with a snarl, frustrated by his own weakness. "I need that power for myself – the dark energy from the Demons isn't enough."

"What about that old demon?" the scientist inquired. "That was the first time I saw him; there'd been nothing in the reports about him and the way he obliterated Hit like he was nothing…"

"Yes, I'm well aware of that," Baby snapped. "Why do these people exist? I thought that by being in a different time to Goku, it'd be easier for me to take over the universe, but these Demons are testing my patience, not to mention that I'm cursed by a Goku no matter where I go!"

"Then perhaps I can offer some good news, my liege? While you were rejuvenating, I tracked the location of the Dragonballs that flew from the Demons' base…while they have travelled to various points in the past, we have a chance to obtain them for ourselves."

"Hmm…using the Dragonballs would be greatly beneficial…I could wish for infinite power and destroy all of my opponents…last I checked, however, we were low on time-travel energy."

"I've already calculated our reserves – we should have enough to make the journey, but we cannot take too many with us and we won't be alone; the Demons already have a head start on us."

"Dammit," Baby growled. "Very well; where are Hatchiyack and the twins? That's all I need."

"They have been waiting for news of your recovery, my liege," the scientist answered. "You were so severely damaged…I feared that you wouldn't make it."

Baby snarled and fired an energy wave that obliterated the scientist. "Fool! How dare you doubt me!"

As the ashes of the former scientist settled, Baby contemplated his last words – it was frighteningly clear to the Tuffle-Saiyan that he was out of his league in comparison to what he was up against; he didn't want to admit it, but he wasn't strong enough, if his narrow brush with death was anything to do by – he remembered the heat of the energy wave that nearly destroyed him…

"Oren! Kamin! Hatchiyack!" Baby bellowed as he stormed from the medical bay. "We have work to do!"

-X-

The bisected parts of Frieza flopped to the ground behind Black, the Emperor shocked by the abrupt attack, as the power of the Dark Dragonball evaporated from his dismembered body.

The combination of lava bursting from the ground and flashing lightning added to Black's sinister appearance as he grinned savagely, blood dripping from his fingers.

"But – how?" Towa cried. "No one could have escaped – you shouldn't have been able to escape!"

"You constantly underestimate me, dear. Yes, I managed to escape with ease and I wasn't the only one."

King Vegeta went flying due to a ki blast, as Super Saiyan Xicor fired a second blast at Shroom, who cleaved it in half with his scythe. Black closed his fist around the Dragonball and it vanished; he flew at Towa with the Aura Slide, but she stopped him with her staff, easily holding him at bay.

"I sense power within you," Black noted and he frowned, taking in her transformed appearance. "No…it can't be…godly ki? In a demon?"

"Does that ruin any future speeches of yours about mortals and gods?" Towa retorted and she swatted him with her staff. He landed several feet from her, flaring his dark aura.

"It's disgusting that even a demon wields the power of the divine. It may not have stabilised, but I sense it all the same and it sickens me that you have-"

"And here we go," Towa said with a roll of her eyes. "I hope Eikyu doesn't take after you and start random, pointless spiels about divinity and the dregs of mortals."

"Who's this weirdo?" Shroom asked, as Xicor and King Vegeta battled each other in the background. He had wanted to join that fight, but he'd sensed the energy in Black and found that appealing.

"This is Goku Black," Towa replied. "An utter nuisance. Initially, we were to harvest his godly energy, but he has become such a problem that I'll settle for his death instead."

"I'll happily do that. Seems like it'd be a good fight."

"You think you have what it takes to best me?" Black shot at the Death God. He was bluffing; his wound still hampered him and he hoped that the fake confidence was enough to deter Shroom. "You're a brave fool, I'll give you that."

At that moment, Mira suddenly dropped in front of Towa and Shroom, energy crackling around him. Beat and Kabra retreated from the timeline, recalled to the Time Nest, as Mira fixed Black with a steely gaze full of hatred.

"No one will fight him but me," the Demon Android said in a tone that brooked no argument. "He has stolen everything from me and so, in return, I will take his life as repayment. Go, collect the other Dragonballs; I will bring this one from his corpse."

"Mira-" Towa started.

"Go!" Mira snarled, never taking his eyes off Black. "The planet will explode if you continue to dally here. I wish to destroy him before that time comes."

Towa glared at her creation, but relented and vanished through a wormhole, taking Shroom and Putine with her. Xicor fired his Revenge Kamehameha, but King Vegeta vanished safely through a wormhole, and the young Saiyan turned to his 'father' for directions.

"After them," Black ordered. "Get the Dragonballs before they do. I have a lesson to teach." Xicor nodded and used his Time Ring to warp away from the timeline, leaving Black and Mira alone, as Frieza and Goku continued their conversation as per the correct timeline, leaving history intact. "So, are you that upset over me fucking your woman and having a kid with her that you wish to die at my hand as some form of retribution?"

"The power from Xicor," Mira said as he clenched his fist, feeling the energy surge through him. "It has greatly increased my strength. I can feel it…begging to be released!"

He hunched over, powering up as he roared, the combination of Xicor's stolen energy and his own hatred towards Black pushed his power higher; Black watched in amusement as Mira transformed, giving a final roar as he reached his ascension. His hair was spiked and his pupils had turned green, while the sclera of his eyes became blood red, the transformation mimicking that of a standard Super Saiyan. Mira grinned savagely, feeling the massive boost of power coursing through his veins thanks to his Saiyan genetics.

"Congratulations, you've transformed," Black yawned. "Still does not compare to a god."

He couldn't risk fighting, not until he fully healed, but this insect was frustratingly persistent; that was probably the one good thing Black learnt about procreating with Towa was how much it infuriated Mira. He smirked, feeling the need to put the Demon Android in the ground but without aggravating his wound too much. Tapping into his god power would worsen his condition and so, Black was left with one other choice: he summoned the lesser power in his veins and brought it to the surface, transforming into a Super Saiyan. The energy felt insubstantial and _mortal_ , but it didn't cause him pain, unlike higher levels; times like this made Black miss Zamasu.

"No purple form?" Mira sneered.

"This may be a basic transformation, but it's more than enough to bury a bug like you," Black retorted. "After all, you are too insignificant to waste my godly transformations upon."

"You'll be eating those words once I'm through with you."

Mira fired his Galick Beam Cannon and Black narrowly dodged the beam; he blocked Mira's fist, but the second slammed against his chest and Black fought back the urge to scream in pain from the impact upon his wound. Mira punched him away and gave chase, eager to have his revenge. Eikyu's existence was a constant reminder of what Mira felt like he'd lost and the desire to take it back by destroying Black drove him. He couldn't let Black live another minute.

Black landed and had to avoid a geyser of lava erupting from the ground; he fired a ki blast through it and the sneak attack worked when the ki blast clocked Mira in the face. Lava continued to explode through the terrain as Planet Namek approached its end, its destruction only mere moments away. Mira blasted through the lava geysers and struck Black in the jaw – he skidded on his feet, flared his golden aura and kneed Mira in the face, smacking him away with a snap kick to the sternum. Mira launched his Galick Beam Cannon and Black quickly countered with a Black Kamehameha. The two energies cancelled each other out as Mira and Black unloaded blows against the other. To the latter's annoyance, the former was now on par with him with his Super Saiyan parody transformation – if Black was to use his godly powers, he could end it in an instant.

Would the pain involved be too much for him to escape Namek in time?

They clashed in the air – they clashed on the ground, their power adding to the devastation of Namek as they fought with unbridled fury, fuelled by their hatred of the other, all the while avoiding the lava fountains and lightning bolts that threatened to interrupt their battle. Black threw a punch – Mira spun around him and struck him with an Android Kick – Black kissed dirt, forcing back the pain that endangered him and he flew away from the Galick Beam Cannon in the nick of time.

"Why won't you die?" Mira snarled in frustration and rage. Every second that Black was alive was mocking to the Demon Android.

"Because I don't want Towa to miss out on a second round with me," Black smirked as he launched a Power Ball.

The taunt worked; infuriated, Mira was struck by the Power Ball and Black capitalised with a physical assault – the Demon Android fought back, but clouded by his rage (all he could think of was Black defiling Towa and while it drove him, it also blinded him), he was sloppy in his strikes that Black easily countered while hammering in punishing blows. Blood flecked the air after Mira received a kick to the jaw – he roared, cocked his fist and threw a punch – Black intercepted him with a punch to the chest with a shout of "Dragon Fist" – and a massive red and black spectral dragon burst forth from Black's knuckles, impaling Mira through the abdomen. The Super Demon was left in a state of shock and disbelief as the dragon encircled his body, trapping him within its mighty coils. Mira screamed in agony, the dragon roared and then came the almighty explosion that obliterated the pair of them, leaving Black to smirk at his handiwork.

"What a waste."

Planet Namek exploded in a cataclysmic eruption, shredded by the battle it suffered, like fireworks in the cosmos as its body was torn asunder in obliteration.

-X-

Time distorted for a brief moment, long enough to spill Baby and his cohorts into history.

"So, when are we?" Oren drawled.

Baby scanned the surroundings and recognised the ruined Kami's Lookout; it still didn't tell him the exact timeline, but he could see energy there and while they were miniscule compared to his own, there was at least one that appealed to him. As he approached the Lookout, he recognised Gohan's young energy, along with Piccolo and he gazed upon the ruins; Garlic Jr. dominated the battle, as he previously did, but with the Two-Star Dark Dragonball embedded in his chest, he was easily overwhelming his trio of opponents – not a single one stood a chance and they were running on luck to avoid the energy blasts that could vaporise them in an instant.

Just as Baby was about to seize his prize, the air shimmered, announcing the presence of a wormhole, and he groaned in frustration when Demigra appeared alongside his associates.

"Well, well, if it isn't the demon who gave me the dark energy," Baby sneered, looking at Robelu. "If you were willing to betray your kind to help me then, you can allow me to claim the Dragonball."

"Ah, Baby, if only it were that simple," Demigra smirked. "You see, it was me who gave Robelu the order to give you the dark energy; I simply wanted a chance to get rid of Towa and thought I could frame her. As for the Dragonball, I cannot allow you to have it; Mechikabura demands it."

"A pity…here I was thinking that we could perhaps become allies…you want Towa gone, as do I and I want Black dead, which I presume you want as well."

"Black is in our possession already, so I cannot accept your offer," Demigra replied. "Turn tail, Baby, and return home; I will spare you this once, but that is the extent of my generosity."

"I see…Oren, Kamin, bring me that Dragonball."

The twins immediately dived towards the Lookout; Demigra sent Gravy and Robelu after the pair, confident in his own ability to handle the possessed Saiyan. With his own Demo God power, he was far superior to Baby and simply couldn't understand why the Tuffle was still alive, putting it down to Towa and Mira's incompetence. Meanwhile, Salsa casually studied the pair before him; they were of minor concern to him, nothing that he couldn't handle – he was just waiting for the order.

The air rippled and another time portal opened; this one from the Time Nest, as the Saiyan Time Patroller Note, the Namekian Tsumuri and the Android Nimu appeared; almost immediately, Note powered up to Super Saiyan 2, her partners powering up into their own transformations.

"As if I don't have enough problems as it is," Demigra muttered in annoyance.

Baby fired an energy wave, which Demigra deflected, and he too dived towards the Lookout. Salsa intercepted and swatted Baby with the flat of his blade; Hatchiyack unleashed its Revenger Cannon and Demigra dodged the powerful beam, closing the gap and struck the Tuffle Machine in the abdomen with the end of his staff – Hatchiyack had time to groan before it was belted through the air.

"So, suggestions?" Nimu asked with a glance at Note.

"We get the Dragonball while they're distracted," she replied and she shot for the Lookout. "Tsumuri – keep them occupied."

Tsumuri nodded and hurled ki blasts at Salsa, as Note flew past Robelu and Kamin battling each other – the former fired an energy blast at the Saiyan, but that left her exposed to Kamin's fists. Nimu took the hit for Note and yelped; she wanted to help him, but getting that Dragonball was the top priority for the Time Nest and she delivered a powerful kick to Garlic Jr's face, interrupting his assault on Krillin. He bellowed with laughter and retaliated with a punch that blasted Note from the Lookout.

Salsa calmly dodged Baby's punches, merely waiting for the right moment to strike and deal the most damage – Baby fired an energy wave point-blank into the Demon God's face and unharmed, Salsa responded with a punch to Baby's chest, making him choke with pain. Unimpressed with his opponent, Salsa gave Baby a simple flick and the Tuffle-Saiyan soared through the air from the blow. Tsumuri flew at the Demon God, but received a casual backhand that nearly knocked him out cold. Demigra smirked as he struck Hatchiyack with his staff – the orb glowed and Hatchiyack bellowed in pain when it was bombarded by the Seasoning Arrow.

A ki blast struck Demigra and while it didn't affect him, the power of it certainly got his attention; he turned towards Robelu and frowned at her appearance: her silky black hair was now snow white, her skin matched it, there were yellow markings on her clothes, but the real giveaway was her eyes…they were the same as Baby's – horrifying realisation dawned upon the Demon Wizard.

"Wow," the Kamin-possessed Robelu crowed. "This body isn't exactly powerful, but it's a nice boost…mmm…the things I can do with this body."

"You…give me back my Robelu," Demigra demanded.

"Nope," Kamin grinned, popping the 'p'. "No can do, old man. She's mine."

She splayed her hands and unleashed a rainstorm of energy blasts upon the battlefield – Demigra summoned a shield against the onslaught, while the barrage enabled Baby to break away from Salsa and fly swiftly towards the Lookout; Salsa used his double-ended sword to cleave the energy blasts to protect himself, realising too late where his opponent had gone. Tsumuri tried to follow after Baby, but Kamin launched an energy wave at the Namekian, keeping him away from her 'father'.

Baby shot past Oren struggling against Gravy and entered the Lookout, going straight for Garlic Jr. The immortal demon, preoccupied with dominating both Note and Nimu, didn't notice Baby until the last moment – Baby grabbed hold of the Two-Star Dark Dragonball and tore the powerful artefact from the Makyan's chest. Garlic Jr. flabbergasted and floundered as the dark energy evaporated from his body – Baby grinned in delight and eager to see the strength for himself, he placed the Dragonball against his own chest. Sure enough, it sank halfway into his armour and Baby gasped as dark energy flooded his body.

"Oh no," Note gasped in horror. "We need to abort mission."

Combined with Towa's dark energy experiment, the Two-Star Dark Dragonball greatly ascended Baby's power and he became deliriously overwhelmed by the sheer power of the artefact – if he wasn't used to controlling vast strength, he would've been destroyed by the Dragonball, but he took control of his new power, savouring the feel of it flooding him. With a malicious grin, he flew at Gravy, dodged the massive hammer and punched him with such force that Gravy shot through the air – Baby followed with a Revenge Final Flash, giddy with his new power as Gravy was pounded by the powerful energy wave, augmented by the Dark Dragonball.

Upon retrieving Nimu and Tsumuri, Note returned to the Time Nest – they were out of their league.

Demigra growled in frustration – not only was his secretary possessed by a Tuffle and under the control of the enemy, but they had claimed a Dark Dragonball and while Demigra never really saw Baby as much of a threat, with the power boost from the Dragonball, he'd be a serious threat now.

"Salsa, get that Dragonball!" Demigra ordered while whacking Hatchiyack aside – bad idea – enraged by the beating, Hatchiyack roared and grew into its Super Gigantic Form. Demigra grimaced as he swerved out of the way of Hatchiyack's fist.

"Time to die, Demons!" Baby cackled, gathering the Revenge Death Ball in his palms.

Salsa twirled his sword and rushed at the Saiyan-Tuffle – with a grin of madness, Baby dumped the Revenge Death Ball upon Salsa – the Demon God had to expand his power in order to withstand the onslaught of the immensely powerful attack.

"This is amazing!" Baby crowed. "Imagine if I had the entire set. Oren, Kamin, let's go – the rest of the Dragonballs await us!"

Kamin gave Demigra a taunting smirk with Robelu's face and vanished with Baby, Oren, and Hatchiyack, hurtling through time and space in search of the next Dark Dragonball. Demigra growled in frustration, having lost both Robelu and the Two-Star; overhead, the Mayko Star appeared and looking to vent, Demigra launched an energy blast at the same time as Gohan fired a massive energy wave, both attacks obliterating the Star and weakening Garlic Jr, sending him to the Dead Zone.

"We lost to Tuffles," Demigra snarled, his fury overcoming him. "Of all the weak species, we lost to Tuffles! Now they have a Dragonball and my secretary! This humiliation will not stand."

"We need to regroup with Towa," Salsa commented. "Clearly, we cannot underestimate the lower beings – look where that got us. Together, we stand a better chance of accomplishing our goal."

"Fine," Demigra conceded, loathe as he was to admit it; he had no desire to work with Towa. "To be honest, I hope she isn't faring better, just for my sake."

"This rivalry is petty and counterproductive. Come, Gravy, we are on a timer."

Gravy joined their side and Demigra used his magic to warp them through space and time.

-X-

With a groan, followed by a hiss of pain, Black eventually came to and for a moment, he had no idea where he was. Eventually, he remembered the final moments of his fight with Mira and having used the Time Ring to escape right as Namek exploded – the blowback must've followed him through time and, along with his wound, knocked him out. It angered him that he was so weak, but he figured that at least he claimed the consolation prize – the One-Star Dark Dragonball.

He summoned the relic to his hand and he felt the power contained within the orb – he'd seen the power it granted and part of him was tempted to use that power for himself – at the same time, he refused, wanting to regain his power on his own merit and not use any outside help, especially one that'd been created by mortals – he was desperate, but not that desperate. Besides, he handled Mira as a simple Super Saiyan easily enough.

Making the Dragonball vanish, Black stared at his Time Ring, contemplating his next move: he needed to meet up with Xicor and see if he'd found another Dragonball – what would his wish be when he summoned Shenron? Black figured he could wish for his power to be restored, but that felt like a waste of wish, especially when he could regain his full power before he collected all the Dragonballs – what about immortality? He'd once rejected the possibility when Zamasu presented it to him, choosing to grow his power instead…but here in this timeline against such nuisances, he was having second thoughts…not to mention that his refusal had resulted in their defeat at Trunks' hands. He'd underestimated the mortals and nearly paid dearly for it.

And if Mechikabura was as powerful as Black feared, then it'd be ideal to be immortal to face him – Black hated the thought of being weaker than a mortal, but that was the overwhelming truth he was facing: mortals were entering the realms of deities or wielded sheer power on par with gods, operating as a grave threat to him and the dream he had for the universe.

That line of thinking brought him to his daughter – if she grew up, her divine blood would make her exceptionally powerful, enough that even Mechikabura wanted it for his ascension, whatever that meant – did he plan to take her power somehow? A strange feeling, based in anger, arose within Black at the thought of Mechikabura violating Eikyu's potential divinity. Death would be the ideal option for the child, simply to keep her out of Mechikabura's hands (and because she was tainted), but then he wondered if he could cultivate her power and make her into a tool to use against the mortals, especially her own kind – Towa wanted her to rule the Demon Realm, but Black saw the purified universe as a fitting gift for Eikyu to inherit…if he let her age to that point.

Black growled, annoyed with the conflict that warred within his mind about his offspring – he hated the damn child for her dirty bloodline, but she was of his blood and she was at the right age for him to influence her with his ideals and develop her into a useful asset, not unlike Xicor. With a sigh of resignation, Black stood, catalogued his injuries and ignored them – he could not worry about them when the Demons were chasing the Dragonballs he needed – not while Mechikabura opposed him.

The Time Ring glimmered as he utilised its power and then he was gone.

-X-

Chronoa surveyed the Time Scroll before her when Note, Tsumuri and Nimu appeared in the Vault; Note went straight into the arms of Beat, who checked her over and grimaced at the bruise forming on her cheek from Garlic Jr.

"This is graver than I thought," the Supreme Kai commented with unease. "I wasn't expecting such overwhelming odds – it's bad enough that Towa and the Time Breakers are stronger than we thought, but with Goku Black in the mix, the odds of our success are quite slim."

"Supreme Kai, what do you suggest we do?" Beat asked. "We can't let them get the Dragonballs – who knows what Towa could wish for – but we're out of our league."

Chronoa hummed as she sank into her thoughts while looking at her small group of Time Patrollers; they were sturdy, reliable and had more than proven themselves capable of handling this delicate mission – if there was a team to succeed, it would be this group before her.

"I'd say we do the same thing as Towa; we achieve our own brand of power," she told the Time Patrollers. "If we're going to succeed, then we need to be on the same level as them."

"How?" Note asked, puzzled at where her master was going with this.

"Just stand close to me," Chronoa instructed as she glowed with a blinding light, bathing them in its warmth. "And let my power wash over you."


	13. Three Star of the Demon King

A/N: Bit of a short chapter...well, in comparison to previous chapters.

* * *

Xicor crouched on the outcrop that overlooked the small valley. He'd followed Towa and her cronies to this era, but since arriving, there'd been no sign of the Time Witch or any of her allies. Come to think of it, his 'father' hadn't shown up either and Xicor wondered what was keeping him. Then he began to think why he should care. He only followed Black's orders because he clearly didn't have the strength to face him, not to mention the bigger problems they had to deal with, like Mechikabura. Xicor shuddered as his quick defeat played in his mind and it infuriated him that he was so pathetically weak – his mother would be terribly disappointed in him.

A spike in energy struck his senses and he turned his attention to the valley – it was no longer empty with the appearance of at least five people, but the numbers meant nothing to Xicor; he could feel the energy of the Dark Dragonball and a wicked grin crossed his face – his prize was within reach and there was no sign of the Demons –

Light shimmered in the air and Xicor grumbled in frustration when Towa and her group appeared…another flash of light and the Time Patrol appeared. Intrigued, Xicor hung back; perhaps he could use this to his advantage…if the Demons and Time Patrol were preoccupied with each other, he could steal the Dragonball while they were distracted…that would certainly impress his 'father'…then again, feasibly, the Dragonball was his ticket to get the leg up on Black – his 'father' hid it well, but Xicor knew he was injured and that meant he was weak right now, ripe for the picking. He kept his energy supressed as he moved across the outcrop, keeping an eye on the Demons and Time Patrol – they were busy yammering to each other and therefore didn't even know he was there; he smirked, turning his attention towards the Dark Dragonball's occupant.

The Demon King Dabura bellowed as his power skyrocketed, leaving Babidi flabbergasted, Majin Buu confused and disinterested, and Gohan and the Supreme Kai completely unsure of how to proceed with this sudden change in the dire situation. Knocking on death's door, Dabura had been moments away from suffering his fate when the Three-Star Dark Dragonball fused with his body – now, he had the power to destroy Majin Buu and Babidi – summoning a Hell Sword, Dabura fired an energy slash that cleaved Buu in half and the evil magician gasped in horror.

"Majin Buu, no!"

"Supreme Kai, what do we do?" Gohan asked.

"I'm not sure," Shin replied, swallowing down his fear, looking at the new arrivals to the area; he recognised them as Demons, but he was lost on those in the Time Patrol. Two Majin Buus?

"Note, Nimu, get the Dragonball," Beat ordered. "We can't let Dabura alter history."

"No, I don't think so," Towa replied. "That's my brother and I'm not leaving without him and the Dragonball."

Beat's response was to transform into a Super Saiyan God, Tsumuri and Kabra taking on similar transformations as well, shocking the Demons. "Chronoa says otherwise," the Saiyan said.

Xicor frowned; he couldn't sense the Time Patrol (he couldn't sense the Demons either), but the intense pressure he felt from their transformations reminded him of Black's indigo form and it made the hybrid growl in frustration – all these beings were wielding power far beyond what he held and he felt like such an ant in comparison to their sun-like power – he needed a leg-up if he ever wanted to make the memory of his mother proud. She'd constantly told him that the universe was his for the taking once Goku was dead, but as it turned out, he wasn't the only problem Xicor had to overcome – he'd been foolish to take up Demigra's offer without thinking it through, but the offer had sounded too good to pass up – kill his father and claim the universe as his own.

The Demon Wizard was foolish to expect him to be a henchman, however.

Naturally, a fight broke out between the Demons and the Time Patrol, as Dabura continued to viciously assault Majin Buu, the energy from the Dark Dragonball allowing him to ignore the commands of Babidi; the magician was reduced to whine and protest pathetically. Xicor transformed into a Super Saiyan and made a beeline for Dabura – he found Gohan in his way instead.

"I don't know who you are, but I can tell you're evil," Goku's son stated.

Xicor struck him with a left haymaker. "I don't care, but you're in my way." Any other time, he would've delight in tormenting and defeating his half-brother, but now was not the time: he had only one goal in mind and nothing else.

Dabura grinned sadistically as he held his palm out to Buu's face; the Majin had been beaten badly, his regeneration struggling to work and Babidi screeched like a harpy at the sight of his lifelong dream face death. However, Towa managed to disengage from the battle to land by her brother's side, catching his attention; the evil vanished from his face in favour of surprise and concern.

"Towa?" Dabura questioned tenderly. "Dear sister, is that you?"

"Yes, brother, it's me," she said. "I wield the power of a Demon God and I'm here to save you."

"Save me? I don't need saving – this artefact…it's granted me power I never imagined possible."

"Come with me and Mechikabura can grant you the power of a Demon God."

The Demon King lowered his hand in astonishment. "Grandfather is alive?"

Xicor decked Dabura and sent him flying and swiped at Towa; she darted out of reach and caught Xicor with a Time Bullet, immobilising him, her violet eyes glaring at him. "That was rude, you brat. We were having a moment…now tell me, is Black alive?"

"I'm not telling you anything, whore!" Xicor snarled.

She clenched her hand, constricting the Time Bullet and the hybrid growled as the magic ran taut against his body. "You are beneath me, boy, and it would be wise to not piss me off-"

A Kamehameha Wave rocketed towards Towa and she flew out of the way, letting Xicor take the brunt of the attack; Dabura flew at Gohan and unleashed his Evil Blast – the son of Goku screamed in agony and he was left splayed out on the ground in his base form, clinging to life. In a rage, Xicor prepared to lunge at Dabura and rip out the Dark Dragonball, but then he felt something literally digging into his brain. He stopped, mentally trying to fight off the intrusion – whoever it was, they were sinking their claws into him, attempting to take control, and Xicor quickly scanned the battlefield for the intruder – he spotted Babidi and flew at the magician – Babidi screamed and exerted his magic, causing Xicor to howl and clutch his head.

" _Get the fuck out of my brain, you cockroach,"_ Xicor mentally snarled, trying to regain control. The magic was strong, stronger than he imagined from such an insignificant creature.

" _You're powerful and could be useful – but why can't I finish the job?"_ Babidi questioned. _"Why aren't you mine already? Why won't you bow?"_

" _Because you're messing with a god, you little insect! Now get out before I squash you!"_

" _I can grant you power…I can see in your heart that it's what you desire…submit to me and that power is yours."_

"NO!" Xicor roared and he swung at Babidi; the magician barely had time to summon a barrier before he was punched across the landscape; Xicor was then struck by Dabura's Evil Flame.

While the mental battle took place, Demigra arrived, frustration evident on his face as he saw the Time Patrol wielding god ki. Only moments ago, they were mortal and now they were divine; he cursed Chronoa's existence, for he knew without a doubt that she'd granted her minions that power. Noticing the Dark Dragonball in Dabura's chest, Demigra smiled; they needed reinforcements and the Time Patrol were busy with Towa's group, although Nimu did attempt to seize the Dragonball – Demigra teleported to Dabura's side and blasted Nimu away, as Salsa and Gravy joined the fight.

"Demigra?" Dabura questioned in disbelief, getting up from Nimu's attack. "This day is full of surprises."

"You are welcome for the assist," Demigra replied as Majin Buu stood up, steam blasting from his head openings in a rage. "Now, if I recall correctly, this is when you die."

"Buu hate you!" the Majin screeched. "Buu turn you into cookie!"

The magic beam was fired from his antennae and honed in on Dabura – Towa recognised this moment and kicked Beat away and turned her sceptre towards her brother – the beam struck Dabura and he gave out a cry of shock as he was transmuted into a Dabura-shaped cookie. Majin Buu hummed triumphantly and Demigra stepped back, allowing the creature of gobble the cookie.

"Well, that was interesting," the Demon Wizard commented. "Towa, we must leave…we have a situation that needs discussing."

"Fine," the Time Witch growled and she turned to Beat. "You can run back to your master now…history was spared and you succeeded in separating me from my brother once again. But if you keep interfering, I will personally deliver your corpse to Chronoa."

Beat looked at Majin Buu, expecting something to happen – the creature had eaten Dabura while he was in possession of the Dark Dragonball, but nothing changed – he turned back to Towa, but she'd vanished, taking the rest of the Time Breakers with her, there was no sign of Xicor, and history seemed relatively intact – the Supreme Kai had taken Gohan and vanished and Majin Buu was now being challenged by Majin Vegeta – but Beat couldn't help but feel something was off.

"Beat…what's wrong?" Note asked upon seeing the look on his face.

"Just a feeling I've got…I mean, history seems intact, but Majin Buu ate Dabura while he had the Dark Dragonball…why is Majin Buu not affected like Dabura was?" the Saiyan wondered, watching the fight break out between Buu and Majin Vegeta. "Something's not right."

"Majin Buu is a magical creature…perhaps his insides neutralised the power of the Dark Dragonball?" Note suggested.

Beat shook his head. "No, that can't be right…we need to get inside Buu and retrieve the Dragonball before it changes him."

His girlfriend made a face. "Ew. Fine, let's talk to Chronoa about it."

From atop the rock formation that overlooked the battlefield, Xicor watched the Time Patrol disappear from the point in history. All that frustration and rage was still bubbling beneath the surface, just begging to be unleashed – in his world, he was the apex predator, the one everyone feared, and here, he was at the bottom of the food chain, the prey that had to watch his back – it pissed him off to no end – a presence emerged behind him and Xicor growled.

"They got away with the Dragonball, didn't they?" Black questioned.

"Yes, no thanks to you," Xicor grumbled. "Perhaps if you weren't cowering in your weakness, we'd have it."

"Don't test me, boy – I don't have to keep you alive to achieve my goals."

The hybrid turned around with a sneer. "Oh, and what are your goals? Your whore?"

Black's eyes narrowed murderously. "You are walking on a very thin line, boy. My goals are my own; if you wish to stay alive, it'd be in your best intentions to heed my direction."

"You're weak and I don't need you."

Black's fingers rested at his throat; Xicor gasped, taken aback by his 'father's' speed. "Very well. If you think you can survive without me, then go your own way. But if you cross my path again, I will not be merciful." His fingers stabbed into Xicor's throat with tremendous force and the hybrid's vision went white as his oesophagus was compromised, robbing him of the ability to breathe.

Xicor collapsed, desperately gasping for air and Black contemplated killing him; he ultimately decided against it, given he had bigger problems to worry about, and with the use of the Time Ring, Black left the timeline. It took Xicor another moment to finally breathe and he sucked huge gasps of air to ease his burning lungs; his throat ached and as he rubbed it, he swore his revenge.

-X-

Towa gasped in horror at the sight of her laboratory; it was under repairs, her minions working hard to fix the damage done, but the majority of the destruction still remained and she rushed in search of her future child with Mira; if Black had destroyed the embryo, Towa would destroy him in retaliation – a sigh of relief escaped her when she found the tank intact; she had it hidden away and that foresight had been fortunate for her, sparing her future child from death.

And speaking of Mira…she wondered what had become of him since he challenged Black…he did not appear in Age 774, but then again, neither did Black…did both of them die in Namek's destruction? If Mira did perish, she would have to retrieve his remains and rebuild him once more; if he didn't…

Resuming her normal form, Towa focused on the important matter of the moment: her brother. The Demon King stood in the doorway of the laboratory, taking in the destruction, Putine by his side.

"What happened, sister?" the Demon King inquired.

"It's a complicated story," Towa replied. "Come, let's remove that Dragonball; I wish to study it while I've got the time."

"Shall I fetch Eikyu?" Putine asked.

"Yes, but don't be in a rush."

"Eikyu?" Dabura questioned as he sat where his sister indicated.

A fond smile crossed Towa's face. "My daughter."

The Demon King gasped in surprise. "You have a child? When did that happen? Who is the father?"

As Towa worked on extracting the Three-Star Dark Dragonball from her brother's chest, she filled him in on everything that had transpired since his death: her creation of Mira, her desire to alter the timeline to save him and finding opposition in the Time Patrol, her attempt for power that lead to the war between the Demons and the Tuffles, reviving Mechikabura, and finally she spoke of Goku Black and how he impregnated her and her decision to carry through with the pregnancy. By the time she finished her tale and successfully extracted the Dragonball, a variety of emotions crossed Dabura's face and at the end, he wore fury like a mask and his fists were clenched; he felt the urge to destroy this Goku Black for violating his sister; in saying that, he was also eager to meet his newborn niece.

"Interesting," Towa crooned, fascinated by the Dark Dragonball. "When I created them, I did not expect them to be capable of providing such a massive increase in power…perhaps I can use this to my advantage…it would certainly help my cause."

She yelped, startled by Mira's sudden appearance in the laboratory. He was crouched, a hand to the gaping hole in his abdomen, wheezing with exertion; Towa immediately set the Dragonball aside and hurried to his side, helping him to the nearest operation table.

"I assume the damage is from Black?" Towa questioned. "I knew you shouldn't have fought him."

"He bested me this time," Mira rasped. "Next time-"

"You were lucky to escape alive. Next time, heed my warning," she chastised. "Now I have to repair you…again."

"I apologise for my foolishness," the Android replied and he submitted to her care.

Dabura watched the pair and saw the tenderness in Towa's ministrations upon the Android, realising who it was: his successor to the Demon Realm. Immediately, the Demon King huffed in disappointment at the appearance of his successor; he wouldn't say anything out of respect for Towa, however. That's when Putine returned and Dabura's attention was immediately drawn towards the bundle in her arms and he rose from his position to join her.

"Ah, so this is Eikyu, hmm?" Dabura inquired and he held his hands out to Putine. "May I?"

"Watch her head," Towa called out without turning around as the ice sorcerer gently placed the baby into his huge arms.

"She is beautiful," Dabura commented, gazing upon his niece's face; she was currently asleep and he brushed a claw tenderly across her soft brow. "She reminds me of you at this age."

Towa rolled her eyes fondly as she worked on putting Mira into stasis; she needed to do some major work to him, but she didn't have the time right now, not with Black hunting the Dragonballs. Once her quick work was done, she turned to her brother, finding him rapt with her daughter; feelings of familial love ensnared her heart and once again, she couldn't believe that she finally had her brother back; she'd been able to interfere with Majin Buu's Cookie Beam and sent Dabura through time while replacing him with a cookie in his image. As much as she would happily distort time to save her brother, Towa played it safe in order to throw off any suspicion from Chronoa and prevent the Time Patrol from dragging Dabura back to his time of death in order to 'fix' the timeline.

"Shall we meet with our grandfather?" Towa inquired.

"Yes, we shall," Dabura replied, handing Eikyu to her mother. "It has been centuries since I last remember seeing him…I was but a lad when he passed." The younger sibling led the way and upon entering Mechikabura's room and seeing the elderly demon resting on his throne, Dabura immediately knelt before him. "My Emperor, it is so good to see you alive once more."

"Dabura…this is quite a pleasant surprise," Mechikabura grinned widely. "You have done well, Towa, to save your dear brother…perhaps now we have a greater chance at success. Rise, my heir."

The Demon King did as he was told and power emanated from Mechikabura's body to flood Dabura's; the Demon King found himself overwhelmed by the sheer power of the energy and it swamped his entire being as it transformed him and he gasped, surprised by the strength he felt in his veins; like his sister, he was now a Demon God.

"My gift to you to celebrate your return," the Demon Emperor stated joyfully. "In return, you will give me the greatest gift when you retrieve the Dragonballs."

"This…is…amazing," Dabura inhaled in astonishment and he fell to his knee again. "My lord, I thank you for the gift you have blessed me and you have my word that I will not fail you."

"I have faith in you, Dabura."

"As wonderful as this is, we have pressing matters," Demigra announced. "The Tuffles are chasing the Dragonballs; Baby has already claimed one, stealing my secretary in the process."

"I was wondering where she was," Towa said, her tone hinting her apathy. "Tragic."

The Demon Wizard managed to keep his anger in check. "Nonetheless, it is an issue that needs to be resolved; the constant interference from the Time Patrol is also hampering our efforts."

"Very well, let's switch it up: you take the Dark-Masked King and I'll have Gravy; I'll even give you Shroom as well."

"Hang on, are we trading cards to you?" Shroom exclaimed. "I'm sure I have a say in who I go with."

"Shroom, follow Towa's lead," Mechikabura ordered. The Death God grumbled as he begrudgingly accepted his master's request.

Towa grinned delightfully. "Now, I wish to study the Dragonball, so Demigra, do try and stop the Tuffles from claiming any more Dragonballs; it'd be a great boon to us."

"One day, Towa, you will get your comeuppance and I'll be there to see it," the Demon Wizard snarled. His sceptre glowed as he opened a wormhole and took his group through it.

The Time Witch gave a careless shrug as she opened a wormhole of her own and Dabura led her group into the portal; he gave her a look and she returned a small nod, confirming to him that she wouldn't be too far away – now that they were back in each other's lives, neither had any intentions of letting the other out of their sight for too long. The portal closed behind the group and Towa retreated to her laboratory with her daughter in her arms.

-X-

His body heaved with exertion, signalling that he needed to stop and rest; he pushed on, refusing to quit despite how much his body protested – pain was the path to power and with power, he was nothing. He could not reclaim his title if he didn't have the power to succeed.

Cooler gritted his teeth and he forced his body through the intense training session – with each punishing effort he put his body through, he felt his strength increase. It made him realise how lazy he'd been throughout his life and how much he took his power for granted when he was growing up; with the God of Destruction hibernating for decades at a time, Majin Buu locked away somewhere, and his only superior being his own father, Cooler had no reason to seek greater strength – his fifth form had been reserved for the day he killed Frieza, but that day never came. Having coming dangerously close to death on more than one occasion, he knew he could no longer rely on his natural strength – it needed to be cultivated and evolved if he wanted to obtain his revenge on the Demons and Goku. He'd been arrogant, just like his foolish brother, and it had cost him.

No more.

Flickers of gold energy flashed around Cooler as he applied himself and he knew he was on the right path; this power felt new and _strong_ …it opened a different world to him, one he never even dreamed of…if he had this kind of power years ago, he could've easily established himself as Emperor of the Universe instead of his pathetic brother inheriting that role.

" _No matter; there is no point crying over the past when I can still change my future,"_ Cooler thought, gold energy dancing on his hand and he clasped his fingers over it, making it a part of him and adapting to the power that flowed through his body.

He was stronger, yes, but it wasn't enough, not yet; this gold energy that appeared whenever he pushed himself to his absolute, _absolute_ limits was the key…he knew this to be true…if he could control and master this unknown fire, he felt that no-one could stop him.

They would all pay. The Demons, Goku; they would pay for what they'd done to him.

Cooler had promised that he would see his revenge to the end, even if it cost him his life.


	14. Four Star of the Hera

A/N: Another short chapter.

* * *

For years, he'd been a conqueror – destroying the weak in order to satisfy his thirst and prove his strength, even if the conquered had been his entire race. He'd travelled the galaxy, besting any fool who tried to challenge him, slaughtering all who stood in his path – until the four Kais of the universe finally confronted him and for the first time, he tasted defeat. Being locked within a star only served to increase his desire for conquest and so when he was finally freed, he made a beeline to the planet that caused his release, seeking a challenge – and he got one. For the first time in ages, he had to use his Full-Power form, but to his surprise and frustration, that hadn't been enough in the face of the young Saiyan's rage, and for the first time ever, Bojack faced death.

Until the Four-Star Dark Dragonball merged with his body.

Inundated with dark energy, Bojack turned the tides against Gohan, dominating the young Super Saiyan 2…as it was, the hybrid was laid out on the ground, choking on his blood as his body was wracked with agonising pain due to the overwhelming beating he'd taken from the Hera.

"I must admit, you had me worried," Bojack cackled as Gohan struggled to put himself together. "But I was foolish to think that…after all, a Saiyan does not compare to the mighty Race of Hera. Like so many before you, boy, you tried and you failed. Now, I will reunite you with your father."

He prepared the Grand Smasher, ready to send the pre-teen to the afterlife – and a voice spoke.

"I believe that is my Dragonball that you're wearing."

Bojack frowned, cancelling the attack as he turned around; Baby waved and immediately went on the offensive – as Bojack managed to block his punch, Oren and Robelu-Kamin struck the Hera with a dual kick from above and he slammed into the ground. He spat blood and furiously glared at Baby – the Tuffle suddenly appeared in front of Bojack and slammed a heavy punch into the Hera's gut, winding him. A ki blast to the face and Bojack tumbled across the ruined city stage.

Gohan coughed weakly, confused at the newcomers; they were preoccupied with Bojack, but something about them didn't feel right and it troubled him – with a groan, he painfully got to his feet, his residual rage helping to maintain his Super Saiyan 2 state. He would help them defeat Bojack, but afterwards…he wasn't sure on what he could do if they were malicious.

Bojack roared as he fired the Grand Smasher – Baby countered with a Big Bang Attack and as the two energy spheres detonated against each other, the twins attacked Bojack again; they took turns in landing blows on the Hera and he created the Psycho Barrier to blast them away – a Revenger Cannon from behind shattered the Barrier and Bojack crashed into the ruins once more.

"Oh my, this is almost too easy," Baby crowed. "Of course, the Demons or anyone else aren't here to get in my way, so this Dragonball is all but mine."

Bojack bellowed, utilising the Dark Dragonball to increase his power – Baby pulverised him with several energy blasts and the twins flew into the cloud of smoke, striking their target. Hatchiyack flew overhead, ready to defend the twins if they needed his help, while Gohan watched from a distance, making sure to keep out of sight – the energy of newcomers felt completely wrong to him and so, he hung back, waiting to see what they would do.

Bojack snarled in frustration as Oren and Kamin restrained him; he tried to fight them off, but they held him with ease, as Baby landed with a sinister smirk and tore the Four-Star from the Hera's chest. The power within the orb called to him and he wanted to drink in its energy; he managed to resist the urge, tossing the orb to Hatchiyack instead – the Tuffle Machine bellowed as the Dark Dragonball merged with its being, flooding it with immense power.

"Now then, what shall we do about you?" Baby questioned as he turned back to the weakened Bojack.

"I want his body," Oren piped up. "It's only fair since Kamin has a body."

"Hmm, very well then, boy," his 'father' acquiesced. "He's all yours."

Gohan watched in horror as Oren turned into liquid form and invaded Bojack's body through his mouth – the Hera tried to battle the possession, but he was no match for the Tuffle – red lines appeared on Bojack's face, his now black eyes formed crosshairs and his hair turned white as Oren took full control of his powerful body.

"How does it feel?" Baby asked.

"He may be weak, but I feel strong!" Oren cried. "This body can provide quite the advantage for me."

With a shout of power, he pushed Bojack's through an evolution as he merged with the Hera on a deeper level, his Tuffleized outfit appearing in place of Bojack's clothes as his green skin turned white, taking on the First-Stage Full-Power Strongest Form, leaving Baby quite impressed.

"Excellent work, my boy; now, let's get the other Dragonballs before-" An energy blast cut him off; the explosion harmed no-one and simply angered Baby as he searched for the assailant…and fury twisted his face when he found him. "Goku!"

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Black sneered.

"Dad?" Gohan whispered in surprise. He wanted to reunite with his father, but something held him back; he felt nothing but sinister energy radiating from his 'father'; it reminded him of Captain Ginyu and he remained put to better understand the scenario.

"Why must you always bother me?" Baby demanded. "You are a fucking problem."

"Says the Tuffle. Now, give me the Dragonballs and I won't drag out your deaths."

"Fuck you!" Baby screamed as he unleashed a Full-Power Energy Wave.

Black dodged the dangerous beam – Oren and Kamin slammed into him and pushed him through the air, both wearing cocky smirks. They began unloading with vicious punches and swift kicks; as Black defended against the assault, he realised his folly in rejecting Xicor – he'd made his choice and couldn't wallow in the 'what-ifs', not while he was preoccupied with battle. With a shout, Black powered up into a Super Saiyan, the blowback of the transformation giving him some breathing space – Baby shot him with an Atomic Blast.

" _No, this isn't enough…I need to go higher,"_ Black thought, his chest throbbing in pain as he narrowly avoided a second Atomic Blast; he screamed as he ascended further, increasing his power when he reached the plateau of Super Saiyan 2.

Oren and Kamin flew in again; Black blocked their kicks at the same time – Baby punched him. Hatchiyack hung back, waiting for orders, as Black caught Oren and Kamin with a Power Ball each, and kicked Baby in the gut – the Tuffleised Saiyan grinned and head-butted Black in reply; Oren and Kamin smirked, unharmed by the Power Balls, and they unleashed a blistering salvo of energy blasts upon Black. He blocked against the onslaught, hoping to withstand the barrage – Baby fired a Galick Gun into the mix.

" _Fuck!"_ Black thought, hissing at the burn of the energy wave; his chest ached from the impact and while the state of Super Saiyan was easy to maintain with no stress on his grievous injury, the ascended version did cause an uncomfortable itching burn upon Mechikabura's aftermath.

He stepped on Oren's face, pirouetted and smashed Kamin in the flank with a side kick; Baby struck him in the chest with the Variant Drive and the collision created a burst of white spots that temporarily blinded Black. He managed to block Baby's several jabs and pressed a ki blast to his face – Oren and Kamin pelted Black with a rainstorm of energy blasts.

" _Curse these cretins!"_ Black thought, protecting himself against the bombardment. _"They attack me like this because they are afraid of fighting me one-on-one; cowards!"_

Baby held his hand out and gathered power for the Big Bang Attack – he was driven through the air by an energy wave; Oren and Kamin stopped their barrage to see who attacked their master – Super Saiyan 2 Gohan shouted as he flared his electrifying golden aura.

"Leave my father alone!" he screamed.

"Oh, let me have him," Oren grinned. "He might be-"

A fist to the jaw cut him off; Black blasted him towards the ground. Kamin fired an energy beam – Black appeared behind her and struck her with a Black Kamehameha. Baby recovered from the sneak attack, as Gohan traded blows with Hatchiyack – the Tuffle Machine easily countered the pre-teen's attacks, the Dark Dragonball fuelling its hatred that had been building ever since the first encounter with Black. After a nasty punch to Gohan's face, Hatchiyack roared, its body undergoing a transformation as its hatred reached the peak – the Super Grudge Amplification skyrocketed Hatchiyack's power and Gohan could only stare in horror, terrified for his own life.

"Yes, that's it, Hatchiyack," Baby applauded. "Destroy the filthy Saiyans!"

The massive punch that Hatchiyack delivered to Gohan's chest was brutal – it nearly caved the boy's chest in as the force blasted him across the former tournament arena – Baby whistled impressively at the Tuffle Machine's immense power. On the ground, Gohan struggled to breathe – everything _hurt_ – and he was literally blinded by the pain that emanated from his chest. Hatchiyack roared and lunged through the air to finish the boy off – Black kicked the Tuffle Machine in the jaw.

"Leave the boy alone; your fight is with me," Black growled. "All of you."

"The boy is a Saiyan as well and must die, but very well, if you insist," Baby shrugged. "Once we're done with you, the boy is next."

"The boy is dead regardless; I don't want any of you taking my kill from me."

Oren powered up a Grand Smasher and launched it – Black dodged it, teleported to the Tuffleized Hera and sucker-punched him; Kamin fired a barrage of ki blasts, as Baby and Hatchiyack flew for their opponent at once. Black backhanded Kamin and fired a Power Ball after her; he blocked Baby and Hatchiyack in time, the force of their combined attack pushing him back. Black shouted and flared his electrifying aura – Hatchiyack was blown away, but Baby held his ground and attacked.

Black blocked Baby's fist with his elbow and shoved a ki blast into his mid-section; Baby persevered and kicked Black in the head. He chased his opponent with the Variant Drive, but Black vanished on the second hit and blasted Baby in the back. The Kai knew he had to either wrap this fight up swiftly or retreat – the minor stress caused by the Super Saiyan 2 transformation was starting to wear on his injury, compounding his abilities and as much as he hated the idea of retreating, he wasn't foolish enough to stay in the face of an immense uphill battle – he could destroy the Tuffles, but it might severely cost him in the end and he couldn't risk that – he could die in the attempt.

Baby threw his hands out to his sides; Black cupped his, both charging their signature attacks. Hatchiyack performed its Revenger Charge, but Black ignored the Tuffle Machine; his focus was on the Tuffleized Saiyan only – the rest he would deal with later if he got the chance.

"Final Flash!"

"Kamehameha!"

The two beams barrelled into each other like a head-on train collision, sparking a battle of wills; both desperately wanted to destroy the other, but both unable to exert that little bit extra to win the battle. It certainly did not help Black's case in any way, shape, or form, when Hatchiyack unleashed the Revenger Cannon into his back – that made him falter and Baby pressed his attack. Overwhelmed by the two energy beams, his own getting disintegrated in the process, Black escaped with Instant Transmission just as the energies all culminated and detonated with a mighty explosion.

"Well, that was close," Black commented from behind Baby as he dusted off his tunic. "I'm afraid it's going to take more than that to kill me – a mortal like you doesn't hold a candle to me."

"You're not a god – just a filthy Saiyan deluded into thinking he is one," Baby sneered and he slid into a stance, eager to continue and kill his rival; he felt confident he could achieve that at least.

There was a flash of light and Dabura appeared, Putine and Gravy by his side. Black frowned at the sight of the new Demon…there was something familiar about him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Meanwhile, Baby growled in frustration.

"Do you mind? We're busy here! Just who the hell are you anyway?"

"I am Dabura, King of the Demon Realm," he replied, power oozing from his Demon God form. "My dear sister, Towa, was able to save me from my fate; in return, I will not let her down, so I suggest handing over the Dark Dragonballs before I force you."

"Your sister is Towa?" Black grinned, his eyes wide with excitement. By the Kais, he could have some fun with this; Dabura felt powerful, even for a Demon God, but Black felt like he could play this Demon like a puppet.

Dabura frowned. "Goku?"

"Oh goodness no – I am Goku Black and I fucked your sister," he crowed, grinning like a madman.

Indescribable rage overtook Dabura and he bared his fangs in anger – he would destroy the one who violated his sister; Black simply gave a casual salute and vanished via his Time Ring, leaving Dabura to seethe in his rage.

"That…was an interesting development," Baby murmured, completely baffled by the exchange. "Goku and Towa? Never saw that coming."

Seeing the newcomers, Oren and Kamin decided to take them on – Putine and Gravy moved to engage them. The Tuffleized Hera swiped at the sorceress; she dodged his fists with ease and blasted him away with a powerful icicle – Kamin suffered a brutal blow to the face from Gravy's hammer. A Hell Sword appeared in Dabura's hand and he blocked Hatchiyack's fist with the flat of the blade and kicked the Tuffle Machine far across the arena.

"We're leaving!" Baby announced to his underlings. "Now!"

"You are not leaving without giving me the Dragonballs," Dabura demanded.

"Too bad."

Baby vanished, Oren, Kamin, and Hatchiyack disappearing along with him. Dabura growled in frustration; he'd promised Mechikabura he wouldn't fail him and two Dragonballs had already slipped through his fingers, not to mention Goku Black escaping from him. Dabura clenched his fist at the thought; he couldn't wait to tear apart the Saiyan who despoiled his sister, even if it did result in his gorgeous niece, but now he had to be patient and wait for a later date.

"Not as easy as it seems?"

Dabura turned towards his smirking sister. "What are you doing here? I thought you were studying the Dragonball."

"I did and look at the results – ta-da!" Towa announced, waving her hand with a flourish at General Bon; the bison had the Three-Star Dark Dragonball implanted in his chest, but that was not all. His entire body, clothes included, had taken on a silvery-purple sheen that emanated with power. His eyes glowed red and Dabura felt that the bison's power could nearly match his own.

"Impressive," the Demon King praised. "I knew the Dragonball could enhance one's power, but you've taken it a step beyond that."

"This is only the beginning," Towa stated. "With more time and research, I believe I can use the Dragonball to enslave even the mightiest of warriors. I'm talking god-level."

Dabura let out a rumbling chuckle. "You never fail to amaze me, dear sister."

"Good, because we have more Dragonballs to collect and our opponents have a head-start; I would like to test General Bon on them."

She opened a wormhole for them; as the last one to enter, she was about to follow when she stopped and turned around, trying to pinpoint the strange feeling that washed over her. It was like she was being watched by someone familiar, but she didn't want to figure out who; she had an idea and she had no desire to entertain that thought. That said, Towa wore a flirty smirk as she daintily waved and flew into the wormhole, the portal closing behind her.

Goku Black observed her go, pondering what he should do in regards to the Time Witch; should he tell her about Mechikabura's proposed plan for their daughter? He couldn't figure out a reason why he would tell Towa about the elderly demon, especially when she had no inclination to listen to him. They hated each other, their daughter being the only connection between them; he simply didn't want the Demon Emperor to gain further power and revive the Demon Realm, but that was exactly what Towa was hell-bent on achieving.

Would she reconsider if she knew of what it would cost her?

Black frowned, confused at why he would even spare Towa in the first place to tell her this information. Wouldn't his problem be solved if he killed her? Immediately, he knew the answer to be no; he would need to get to Mechikabura in order to get Eikyu away and at his current strength, that was impossible – Towa was his best chance and his upper lip curled in disgust.

How far the mighty have fallen.

Hoping that he would reach a resolution sooner than later, Black used the Time Ring to follow after Towa and her group – the next Dark Dragonball would be his!

Meanwhile, Gohan started to regain consciousness, his memory somewhat hazy; Bojack was nowhere to be seen or sensed, so the young boy figured the Hera had been defeated, even if the details were fuzzy – something lingered at the forefront of Gohan's mind: did he see his deceased father for a second time?

-X-

This was quite the interesting development and one that could work in his favour.

"You were quick to spurn me and now you come crawling back like a kicked dog," Demigra said, amused by the situation. "In all honesty, I have every reason to simply kill you, but I could use your services; the only question remains on whether I can trust you or not."

"I want Goku Black dead at my hands," Xicor growled. "Trust is not important when vengeance drives me."

"Hmm, I see. Well, you will have to get in line; at this rate, there are so many people who wish to kill Goku Black that I might have to hold a lottery to see who gets that special gift."

"Besides, if this punk does turn on us, he's that weak we could easily deal with him," Shroom stated, his smirk growing wide at Xicor's incensed growl.

"Oh, underestimate him at your own peril; he is the son of a Kai after all," Demigra cautioned and he looked at Xicor, scrutinizing him. The hybrid was full of rage and power, both of which the Demon Wizard knew he could use to his advantage if he was able to harness it: the combined power of a Saiyan and Supreme Kai was too good of an opportunity to miss out on exploiting. That said, he also knew he couldn't trust the hybrid. "Very well, Xicor, I accept your offer – you will retain your free will, but you will obey my commands without question. Failure to do so or any sign of betrayal will be dealt with in a permanent manner. Do you understand and comply?"

A wicked grin crossed Xicor's face. "Of course. Anything to feel my father's blood on my fingers."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, another reunion between Black and Towa.


	15. Five Star Advent of the Rose

A/N: There is a lemon in this chapter. I didn't want to spoil it, but I feel like I have to give a warning, just in case.

* * *

Locating the Five-Star Dark Dragonball was simple enough; retrieving it was a different story, much to Towa's consternation. While Super 17 was preoccupied with Goku and therefore an easy target, the Time Patrol's presence (constant interference) grated heavily on Towa's nerves; the blasted servants of Chronoa had arrived before them and any attempt to take the Dragonball was constantly thwarted by one of the pests. Towa fired a Spear Shock from her staff at Nimu; the Android avoided the blast and returned a blast of his own, which she dodged, frustration creeping up on her. She needed back-up, loathe as she was to admit it, if she wanted to succeed, but Demigra was nowhere to be seen, something she was not surprised by at all.

The untrustworthy toad better be searching for the last two Dragonballs.

Nimu fired off a series of blasts; Towa used her Warp to move behind the Android and strike him with a Bloody Sauce – Kabra came to his friend's aid and Towa dodged his fist, smashing him away with a perfect kick to his face. She noticed Super 17 nearby, the power of the Dark Dragonball giving him the edge against Goku; with his energy absorption capabilities, he could eventually become too powerful to handle – she needed that Dragonball.

Kabra attempted another assault; Towa parried his fists as she searched for an opening – General Bon crashed into the Majin Time Patroller and Towa seized her chance – she Warped towards Super 17 and ensnared him with a Time Bullet. Just as she reached for the Dragonball, her hand was batted away and she blocked Beat's kick; he unleashed a flurry of rapid blows that pushed her away from the Super Android and she spotted Note going for the Dragonball.

Frustration bled into Towa's pores and she created a full body shockwave that forced Beat back; he immediately started charging the Kamehameha Wave and Towa swiftly responded with her Minus Kili Zone technique, the explosion hurtling Beat through the air. Note darted around Super 17's fists and kept out of reach of his Flash Bomber, before moving in for the Dragonball – a huge blast of demonic flames swept between her and the Android, narrowly scorching her, and she had to avoid Dabura's Hell Sword, keeping her away from Super 17.

With the female Saiyan distracted, Towa rushed at Super 17, her fingers closing around the Dragonball – he snarled and swiped at her, but she used her staff to halt his fist as she tore the Dragonball from his chest. Super 17 gasped in shock as the dark power was sapped from him, but he didn't get a moment to recover before Towa used her magic to place him under her control – with a wicked grin, the Super Android set his sights on the Time Patrollers and flew into battle, unleashing a Dark Flash Bomber against Tsumuri.

"Beautiful," Towa gushed as she clutched the orb.

"Yes, my dream of a beautiful universe is one step closer to fruition."

She froze, her fingers tightening around the Dragonball as she faced Black. He grinned sinisterly, a blade of ki coating his right hand – General Bon landed between the pair and grunted, steam blowing from his nostrils. Black sighed and lunged at Bon – the bison caught his wrist and slammed him into the ground, surprising him. Dabura, Putine, and Gravy landed beside Towa, watching as Black slashed at Bon again, only to get punched in the stomach and losing his breath. He fired a Power Ball, but Bon swatted it aside and caught him with a right hook.

"Impressive," Dabura commented. "However, I don't want General Bon to have all the fun; I believe I owe some punishment to Goku Black."

Towa glanced up at Super 17; her godly magic fully fused with his ki, causing him to undergo a Dark Evolution and continue the fight against the Time Patrollers, giving her plenty of time. "Then by all means, go ahead; this is your opportunity."

General Bon caught Black's forearm, the Aura Slide inches from his face; Gravy smashed his hammer upon Black's spine and he screamed – Bon dropped him with a left haymaker and Putine unleashed a blast of ice that froze Black's hands to the ground. Dabura slammed a kick into Black's flank like he was booting a soccer ball and the Saiyan-Kai soared into the air where Gravy caught him with another sickening blow from his hammer. Black winced and struggled to get up – Gravy's electrified hammer slammed into his back and he screamed in agony; he then tried to laugh through the pain despite nearly having his spine snapped and General Bon smashed a kick into his jaw. Blood splattered on the ground; Black growled and wiped it from his lips – General Bon hauled him up and drove several powerful punches into his stomach; a final blow to Black's cheek sent him on a staggering spiral straight into Dabura's Evil Blast.

"Now, this is my kind of entertainment," Towa smirked as she relaxed to watch the brutal beating.

Black slashed at Putine; she parried with her staff and struck him in the sternum with the butt. The staff slapped against his face and she unleashed a blast of icicles that froze Black in place – General Bon struck with his Wild Typhoon and the destroyed road suffered further destruction from Black's sliding body. Black slowly rose up, brushing ice off his clothes, a furious scowl on his face – Dabura hit him in the back with a breath of demonic flames and Black shouted as he crashed into a demolished building, the wreckage collapsing upon him from the impact.

"Whatever you do, don't take too long to kill him," Towa reminded them. "Saiyan genetics, after all."

"He can't match our power," Dabura arrogantly boasted. "And I want him to suffer. Besides, what are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be gone with the Dragonball?"

"And miss out on his demise? Please."

"Suit yourself."

The ruins of the caved in building exploded in golden light; Super Saiyan Goku Black burst from the wreckage and struck General Bon with a Super God Fist – the bison swiftly retaliated with a vicious backhand that drew blood from Black's mouth. He staggered and his chest suffered a barrage of icicles from Putine, opening him up to a blow from Gravy's hammer – Black's chest constricted in agony as the air was punched from his lungs, his diaphragm constricting from the impact. Despite the breathlessness, he managed to avoid a swing aimed at his skull – barely.

"You – keep this – up – I'll – kill you – all," Black promised between gasps for breath.

"No, you're the one who will die today, Black," Towa said. "Don't worry, though; I'll make sure to tell Eikyu all about you when she's older…maybe."

Black snarled and flew for Towa – Gravy intercepted with a punishing blow of his hammer that punched Black through several buildings, destroying them in the process. General Bon hovered above the rubble and fired an energy blast to clear the ruins; Black chuckled weakly as he spat blood, rising up and wiping away the blood from his hairline.

"Normally, I would comment on how dare you for making a god bleed, but I need this," he growled, flaring his golden aura. "I need to get stronger and if I have to get pulverised, then so be it; I will be reborn in my beautiful form and you heathens will suffer-"

"Oh, can someone just shut up him," Towa demanded in exasperation. "This is the father of my child? Really?"

"By the way, about our child-" Black started before Dabura kicked him in the jaw.

"Enough of your prattling, Goku. It's time you suffered for touching my sister."

"Don't be mad; she fucking loved it!" Dabura's backhand sprayed blood and dropped Black to the ground; he cackled madly in response, mouth full of blood. "Admit it, big guy; your sister is a whore."

Enraged by the Kai's taunts, Dabura snarled as he hauled Black up by the throat and began crushing his windpipe. Blood dribbled from Black's mouth and nose as he tried to break the Demon King's grip, to no avail and he fell back into his base form; Dabura brought Black close until they were almost touching nose-to-nose.

"I'll see you in-"

 _Shluck!_

Dabura gasped in shock and let Black go; he dropped, wheezing for air, his right hand coated in blood. The Demon King staggered back, holding a hand to his wound – he knew immediately that he'd been stabbed in the lung if his laboured and bloodied breathing was anything to go by. General Bon immediately kicked Black away as Towa flew to her brother's side.

"Hold still, brother, I've got you," the Time Witch spoke gently, using her staff to create the Energy Zone beneath him, healing the wound.

From his position on the ground and with the others closing in on him, Black witnessed the effects of the Energy Zone; with a grin, he put two fingers to his forehead and locked on Towa's signature – she cried out in surprise when he abruptly appeared within the Zone, the strange energy healing his wounds. He sighed as he bathed in the energy – fully restored, Dabura blasted him out of the Zone and Towa cancelled it, but it had been enough. All of Black's injuries, including the one from Mechikabura, were completely healed and his body underwent a Zenkai boost, elevating him – the power that had eluded him since he woke up in this world was at his fingertips once more.

"Ah, that feels so much better," he delightfully said, revelling in his restoration.

"Kill him," Towa demanded with a barely-composed edge to her tone. She suddenly felt afraid of what could potentially happen if they didn't act _right now_.

"I feel invigorated," Black crowed. "Thank you, my dear Towa; you do have some use outside of being a carrier for my child."

"You'll pay!" Dabura spat.

"Perhaps…but first, I want to show you something. I feel the old power gushing through my veins, begging to be witnessed. As mortals, it would be a sin for you to see something so divine, but for this, I can make an exception," Black sneered. "Allow me to gift you this pleasure of witnessing my ascension."

He squared his feet and flared his dark aura, bellowing as he tapped deep into his power, bringing it to the surface. He roared, a beam of light forming from his aura and bursting into the sky. The area around him whipped up in frenzy from the sheer force of his rising power. Towa's mouth was agape as she felt his ascension, horror written clear on her face – she never wanted to see this moment come to pass, but she was frozen in place as the heat of his power washed over her. The light beam faded as Black's roars receded, an aura of dark purple and red surrounding him – his Super Saiyan hair was pastel pink, like his eyebrows, and his eyes were grey; he did his signature sign.

"At long last, I have returned to the throne where I belong," Black gushed. "Is this form not the pinnacle of beauty? I call it Super Saiyan Rosé."

Above them, Super 17 had been defeated by the Time Patrollers, restoring history in that regard and Beat gasped in surprise at the power he felt radiating from Black.

"Get out of there," Chronoa called to him and his friends. "Get out of there right now! Black is too dangerous to take on, even with all of you. Return to the Time Nest now!"

"Understood," Beat affirmed and he disappeared from the timeline alongside his team.

"So, this is just Super Saiyan with pink hair dye?" Dabura stated, unimpressed by the form.

Black chuckled darkly. "Of course, a simple mortal like you wouldn't understand. This level of godly beauty is far beyond your miniscule comprehension and explaining it to you would be a waste of my breath. Here, let me show you instead."

The next thing Dabura knew, he'd been kicked through the devastated city – when he finally came to a stop, he groaned in pain, his chest aching and he couldn't find the strength to get up; he couldn't believe he'd been felled with _one_ hit. Black smirked and twisted his upper body out of the way of General Bon's fist – he drilled a fist into the bison's stomach and spun him through the air with a pirouetting kick. Gravy charged and swung his hammer – Black caught the weapon easily, smirked, and decked the Demon, following up with a Super Rosé Kamehameha – Gravy bellowed in agony as the immensely powerful beam drove him through the sky. Rage-endowed, General Bon roared, his silvery-purple aura manifesting as the physical representation of his rage as he powered up and he charged at his target – Black sliced his hand through the air – General Bon slid along the ground, his severed head rolling to a stop beside his corpse.

"Why thank you, Mr Bon," Black smirked as he retrieved the Three-Star Dark Dragonball and he turned his sights on Putine; she quivered in fear. "Now then, my dear, are you ready?" he grinned, his aura forming around his hand into an energy sword.

He lunged – she used her staff as a shield but he knocked her away with the Rosé-blade and began the Divine Lasso – Putine wanted to scream from the energy spears piercing her body, but she couldn't find her breath – Black twirled into the signature pose of the move and the spears detonated in a mighty explosion that dropped the unconscious Putine to the ground and she slipped back into her normal form. Black resumed his aura and dusted his hands.

"That takes care of the trash," he commented, turning towards Towa; she hurriedly made the Dragonball disappear. "Now it's your turn."

She backed away, her staff glowing as she opened a wormhole; Black used Instant Transmission to reach her just as the wormhole closed around them both – in desperation, Towa opened a second wormhole to try and get rid of him, but his hand gripped her throat and they tumbled through the wormhole, appearing in a rocky wasteland in some unknown point in history. Black drove her until her back hit a rocky hill and his aura formed into the Rosé-blade and he aimed it towards her throat. He finally had her in his grasp, the energy sword ready to end her life…all he had to do was strike and she would be dead in an instant…her blood would gush between his fingers, like he always dreamed of and he would be rid of her from his life.

The Rosé-blade stilled.

Black frowned in confusion; why couldn't he bring himself to kill her? What was holding him back? The fact that she was the mother of his child meant nothing to him…she was an abomination…so why couldn't he deal the final blow he dreamt about? The dreams he'd have in order to avoid lingering on the ones where they'd dance together in the field of lust that left him breathless when he escaped them to reality.

He was a god and therefore above the mortal sin of lust and desire…something had been awoken in him since their first encounter and he'd tried so hard to suppress those desires – now with her before him, those desires slammed into him at full-force and he tried to ignore them – they were meaningless thoughts and he didn't have to give in to her like he did before.

He refused.

"You know it's rude to leave a girl in anticipation like this?" Towa taunted, her heart thumping as she stared death in the face; she defiantly refused to show fear, refusing to give him that pleasure.

Conflicted thoughts surged through Black's mind, twisting and twining together like a giant ball of multi-coloured string; he couldn't decide which path to follow and it infuriated him…the answer had always been clear, but for some reason, he couldn't seal the deal with the witch at his mercy.

"What's it going-" Towa started; fed up with his warring mind, Black yelled and the Rosé-blade lunged forth.

Her heart skipped several beats; she glanced to her left and saw the Rosé-blade buried up to his fingertips in the rock. She looked at Black and saw the storm of conflict in his grey eyes; before Towa could say anything – his mouth was on hers.

The kiss tasted of passion and hatred – and Towa was shocked to find her body responding to the kiss, kindling the fire that blossomed within her.

"I hate you so much," Black hissed, cupping her jaw with delicate fingers; the Rosé-blade was gone and that hand had fallen to her hip.

"The feeling is mutual," she shot back.

"I truly despise you and your kind…but for some damn reason…I can't get you out of my head…it feels like my mind is drowning in you…and I hate it."

That caught her off-guard. "Oh my, the infamous Goku Black enticed by a mortal," Towa couldn't help but tease. The heat of the moment ignited a spark inside her and she would be a liar if she said she didn't want to expand that spark; his touch alone set her nerves alight with desire.

He captured her mouth in another searing kiss; her staff clattered to the ground and she ran her hands through his hair, gripping the strands tightly; she had no idea what drove her to accept him, but she wasn't exactly going to argue – she wasn't dead. His tongue sought entrance into her mouth and she consented; he hoisted her legs around his waist, hiking her skirt around her hips as his hands palmed her ass, his strength pinning her to the rock wall – his groin came into contact with hers and through both fabrics, Towa felt him harden against her core, sparking a chain reaction in her body.

She kissed him feverishly, her hands desperate to feel his heated skin, and she ripped his undershirt open, a delighted sigh escaping her lips as she ran her hands over his strong bare chest. Her touch on his flesh fuelled the flames in Black and he nipped at her throat, drawing out tiny gasps of pleasure from the Time Witch as he ground against her; his hands cupped her breasts roughly and he returned the favour by tearing her top open and squeezed her full globes; her nipples hardened under the treatment and he devoured her moan with his mouth, her nails digging into his scalp as she tightened her grip on his hips, his movements firing jolts of pleasure through her system.

She was wet and she needed him – oh Kami, she wanted him to fill her so badly…she knew she shouldn't be doing this and to do so would destroy any chance of repairing her relationship with Mira; she didn't want to betray him again and yet…there was the darkness and power of Black that attracted her and drew her in like a moth to a flame – she wanted that and she wanted him, there was no use in denying that; she'd fantasised about Black more than once since their initial encounter and even though she felt terrible about having them, using them as inspiration to seek his death – this time, she would happily dance with the devil for a taste of paradise.

Black drew back and drank in the sight of the heavily aroused Demon in his hands; her lips full from the feverish kiss and her eyes were blown with desire – he ached to bury himself deep into her and while that conflicted with his hatred of mortals, right now in this moment, he didn't care – he wanted her plain and simple; there could always be time later on to end their battle.

"At least this time you're fully coherent," Towa chuckled as she nipped at his earlobe. "And you won't knock me up this time."

"One brat from us is enough," Black agreed. He was still at a loss at why he was swimming in lust with a Demon – as a god, he should feel disgusted for even daring to commit such a sin with an abomination, but there was something about her that drew this ( _mortal_ ) desire out in him and for the life of him, he couldn't fathom it. He should be killing the witch, not trying to fuck her; he hated her for doing this to him, he hated himself for being so damn _mortal_ – fuck, he wanted her.

"You know, it's funny the way you are now," Towa commented lightly as he peppered her chest with rough kisses. "You did call me a whore; that wasn't very nice of you."

"Tormenting those who care about you brings me joy," Black murmured, biting kisses along her throat and feeling her body react in his hands, tiny whimpers escaping her lips as he rolled his hips against her core; fuck, it urged him on, wanting to draw out more of those delightful noises from her. "You're my whore." He frowned – where the fuck did that come from? This was dangerous territory he was entering – a god consorting in sin with a mortal.

Fuck. It. All.

She glared at him. "Oh…how sweet…but I don't belong to you."

He pulled the remains of her top from her body, exposing his Mark on her collarbone. "Even I know this says otherwise."

"You did that in the heat of the moment, not under your full control – it means nothing."

The sight of the Mark called to him and he lashed his tongue across the faint scar – the feel of him on the bite shot a wave of euphoria through Towa of such intensity that she nearly came right then and there.

"What about now?" Black cockily grinned, her arousal drowning his senses, a heady spell that consumed him and made him want more; by the gods, he _needed_ her.

"Meaningless," Towa gasped through the bouts of pleasure swimming through her body.

"Hmm, we'll have to work on that then."

He reached between her thighs and tore her soaked underwear aside at the same time she shimmied his pants down his legs with her feet, freeing him. She was drenched and ready, her scent spurring him on and bringing out something primal in him – he needed to claim her. He guided himself to her entrance and her legs tightened around him as he slid inside her, both groaning at the connection; he sank to the hilt, bringing them together once more. He took a moment to savour the hot feel of her clenching around him; she groaned, elated by the feel of his heated girth filling her depths. His hips snapped against her, hard and fast, immediately setting the rhythm. It was like he was pouring all of his frustration, hate, and lust into her with each drive of his hips.

She loved it.

"Is this all a god is capable of?" Towa couldn't help but tease, even as waves of pleasure pulsed through her with every thrust. "Mira could do better."

Black growled at the implication and increased the intensity of his thrusts, his Rosé aura bursting around the pair; he held her legs wide to slam into her easier and her eyes rolled from the ecstasy, her chest heaving as his rapid pounding kick-started the beginnings of an orgasm; the rock formation that held her up began to crack and splinter from Black's force.

She was writhing in his hands, her nails clawing at his back as she tightened around him and Black arrogantly sneered. "How does it feel to be fucked by a god?"

"I'm waiting to be impressed," Towa replied in between moans of lust – she was almost there, just a bit more –

Spurred on by her words, he refocused his efforts – the rock formation crumbled from his intensity and the couple fell to the ground, unaffected by the rocks collapsing on them; he continued his pounding as if nothing had happened – he could sense her impending climax if her slick arousal was anything to go by and he bit down on the Mark; she screamed his name as the action took her to the peak and triggered her orgasm – she squeezed him tight as she rode the waves of her pleasure and he groaned against her heated skin as he followed her over the edge, filling her womb.

Both were left panting heavily as they came down from their respective climaxes; he held his weight off her, gently rocking his hips and she groaned in response, her body twitching in the aftermath.

"Was that enough to satisfy you?" Black sneered, ignoring the turmoil of his fucked-up mind, his only focus being the lust-ravaged Demon beneath him.

"Hmm, I'd say it was decent," Towa musically responded, her hands sliding under the wreckage of his clothes to trace his muscles. He was still hard inside her and she wiggled her hips; his eyes flickered and he sucked in a breath of pleasure, which amused her. "Can a god go again or is he done for the night?"

"Oh, you are begging for it, you harlot," he growled. The combination of their essences made it easier for him to glide into her, pushing as deep as he could go. Their hands went for each other's clothes, tearing the remains off as best they could without disengaging. "Once I'm done with you, you'll never want to go back to that toy of yours."

"Big talk, but can you back it up?" Towa taunted. "Not that I will ever be yours, but keep trying; I'm going to enjoy this regardless."

"The night is still young; I have all the time I need."

* * *

A/N: So, going alright still?


	16. Six Star of the Hell Angel

A/N: I want to thank **MeteorElDragon** and **MIinoka** , plus guest, for your reviews; thank you so much, you are all great, and thank you to those who fave and follow...it's all appreciated. Something I forgot to mention to mention in the previous chapter: Black's energy sword is called Violent Fierce God Slicer; I simplified it to Rose-blade because it'd be exhausting writing that in every instance.

* * *

He watched her sleep, his mind a cacophony of stormy thoughts. The entire reason he started his crusade against the mortals was to purify the universe of their barbaric existence, seeing them as nothing more than vile creatures that imitated the arrogant gods who created them – and now he had just spent the night in lust with the vilest of mortals; he had no regrets over the action, enjoying the pleasures of the flesh, despite the act being degrading for a god – he was struggling to figure out what this meant, not just for him, but for them as well. Every cell of rational thought demanded her blood, to erase the sin of her touch from his body, but he held fast against that idea, not wishing for her death just yet. There was also the matter of their daughter he needed to talk about.

Black was so lost in his thought that he didn't hear Towa stir as she slowly came to; she was surprised to find herself in a bed and not out in a wasteland, until she remembered that Black had teleported them to the World of the Kais to continue their 'session'. A smile came to her lips at the thought of desecrating the Sacred World with their decadence and she noticed Black brooding by the bed. He wore only his pants and boots and she took a moment to appreciate the view before rising from the bed – Kami, her thighs ached!

"Hello, lover," Towa purred into Black's ear as she draped her arms over his chest, planting a small kiss to his neck. "Did you sleep well?"

"Fine," Black grumbled in reply. He didn't look at her as he continued. "I've been thinking."

"Oh, this can't be good," she teased. "Are you having second thoughts? It's a little bit late for that, considering the number of times we did it last night. I have to say, that's the most action I've witnessed in such a short time."

He huffed and couldn't help the smirk. "Your toy failing to live up to your standards? Pitiful."

She glowered. "Mira is more than capable when it comes to the task – recent events have made that somewhat difficult, as you can imagine."

"Oh yes, our daughter. You do realise what Mechikabura intends to do with her, right? He wants to use her for his ascension, whatever that is – that doesn't bode well for the child."

"Aw, is Goku Black growing a heart?" Towa mocked playfully as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Last I remembered, you despised Eikyu and wanted nothing to do with her; why the sudden change of heart? What makes you say this about the Dark Lord?"

"I heard it from his own mouth," Black replied, finally turning around to face her, his eyes intense. "I may not give a damn about the brat, but I know she will be powerful if she grows up and I don't want the 'Dark Lord' to become any stronger than what he already is."

"Afraid of the competition? Or are you about to go on another spiel about mortals and gods, how we're disgusting and should never touch the light of the gods?"

Black growled in frustration and stood up. Her nakedness was quite a distraction to him and so he turned away from her again, needing her to understand the gravity of the situation without succumbing to their desires once more. Wicked temptress. "Reviving the Demon Realm is a horrendous idea and I cannot allow Mechikabura to do that, especially with the brat's power."

She glared at him. "It has been my life's goal to restore my home – anyway, you cannot be upset about it, not with your grand goal of eradicating every single mortal in existence. Tell me, Black, what will you do if you achieve that? It'd make for an extremely lonely life."

"This isn't about me. I need to get our child away from Mechikabura as soon as possible to prevent his ascension and you're the only one who can help me do that."

She chuckled humourlessly. "And then what? Live as a happy family here on the Sacred World of the Kais and hope Mechikabura doesn't find us? You idiot, he's too powerful to evade forever and I refuse to betray my grandfather, especially for you. You'd sooner kill Eikyu than raise her."

He didn't have much to say to that as he was still indecisive on his daughter's existence; he didn't exactly want to kill Eikyu, not when he could mould her to his ideals, but he didn't see himself as someone who would raise a child – he certainly was not the caring type, given that he murdered the only person he held some respect for. It made Black feel lost and confused and he hated these moments of 'weakness' – it was the same with the Time Witch.

"What if I don't want to?" Black finally questioned, more to himself than her. "She is part-Demon and therefore an abomination, but she is of my blood and therefore a deity."

Towa rolled her eyes, retrieving her spear and using her magic to restore her clothes. "I don't have all day to stand here and debate these issues with you – I need to collect the last of the Dragonballs; I imagine you won't give me the ones you have?"

"Not a chance," he retorted.

She slinked up to him and sensually ran a finger down his bare torso, causing him to shiver at her touch and suppress his urges. "What if I asked really nicely?"

"My answer remains unchanged. I will not allow Mechikabura regain his power and if you won't help me stop his ascension because you'll blindly follow him due to blood, then I will do everything I can to prevent his goals – if that means destroying you and the child, so be it."

"Then take your shot," she challenged him, stepping back. "You want to kill me so badly, then do it – I'm giving you the chance right now. Free shot, Black – take it or miss out."

The offer was right there; Black slowly raised his hand with a ki ball ready and Towa stared him down defiantly, not a single trace of fear in her features. For a moment, Black held the position – just like several hours ago, he couldn't go through with it and he cancelled the ki with a growl of frustration.

"What have you done to me?" he grumbled.

"We've infected each other," Towa answered with a small shrug. "This…thing between us is merely physical, yet it has burrowed under our skin and gone deeper. My relationship with Mira might possibly never recover once he finds out."

"I still hate you."

"Yes, I got the reminder all night long to the point I can barely stand – let's face it, Black, we've crossed the line, multiple times, and there is no going back, but I intend to continue my goal of reviving the Demon Realm-"

"At the cost of our child?" Black questioned.

"Like you give a damn about her!" she hissed in fury. "You're scared of Mechikabura; that's all it boils down to: fear. There's not a single _inch_ of you that cares about Eikyu in the slightest! You even threatened to kill her five minutes ago just to hinder my grandfather."

"She is a deity, not a pawn."

"Because you spared all the other gods when you began your crusade?"

"I do wish for a universe free of all mortals…it's the only way I can restore the balance…eradicating the gods who refused to admit their mistakes was a necessary step," Black said. "At the very least, I can spare our child, but only if Mechikabura is dead and the Demon Realm stays sealed…there may even be room for you in that future if you wish it."

Towa glared at him. "I may have created Mira, but at least we understand each other and are on equal footing…you're demanding that I betray my kind, my life's dream, and join you just to save my skin and the life of my child. How will I ever feel comfortable that you won't turn on me one day – because we've fucked? I'm not a fool, Black; we hate each other and sex doesn't change it."

Black remained silent. Hatred and disgust of her (and himself for engaging in sin with her) bubbled beneath the surface as always, yet there was something there that felt disconcerted at the idea of her death. It confused him and he tried shoving it away, but after their night of debauchery, that tiny little thought persisted. It made no sense to him, as she pointed out; it was only physical between them. It made him hark back to her earlier words: what was his plan if he'd been successful?

Truth be told, Black hadn't planned much past the complete eradication of the mortals; he'd assumed that he would live an idyllic life in paradise with Zamasu as the only two perfect beings in existence…with Zamasu gone, that outcome did appear remote and despite everything about him, Black didn't much enjoy the idea of lonesomeness – he didn't exactly crave the bond of friendship and family (Zamasu was his original form, so it didn't entirely count), but he had spawned a child and bonded with the mother on a primal level – he found that he wasn't completely opposed to the concept of them residing in his utopia.

Apparently, his silence was enough of a response for Towa and she tilted her head. "Well, now that the business between us has concluded, I need to plan your demise. See you later, lover."

She vanished and Black clenched his fist in frustration with himself – what the hell was wrong with him? Ever since he woke up in her laboratory, he'd been discombobulated and the creation of his daughter had completely fucked up everything for him. He didn't entirely feel like himself and he blamed it on the Time Witch – entertaining the thought as a family in his paradise?

He snorted at the idea, realising that he'd fallen following his near-death experience – fuck, he really needed to hit something.

-X-

Dabura was livid.

He'd been taken out in one hit and when he finally recovered, he'd discovered his sister was missing, along with Black. He feared to know what happened to her – if Black had killed Towa, there was nothing in the universe that could stop Dabura from tearing him apart.

He made a quick trip to her castle to see if she'd gone there – his heart plummeted to learn she wasn't there either and he started to fret – he'd just been reunited with Towa; he couldn't bear to lose her so soon, and he was at a loss at what to do. He considered ripping through time in order to find her and he was on his way to her laboratory when she suddenly appeared before him.

"Ah, brother-" Towa started before she was crushed in a massive hug.

"I thought I lost you, sister," Dabura muttered, all of the anger draining out of him at the reunion. "Don't scare me like that again."

"My apologies – I was preoccupied," she replied, fondly patting his back and he broke from her with a quizzical look; his nose scrunched up when he caught a whiff of sex on her.

"Yes, perhaps 'preoccupied' is not a strong enough word," he stated and suddenly, it dawned upon him. "You and Black? Did he…force-"

"No," Towa quickly reassured him. "It was completely mutual, but I rather not dwell on it – we have Dragonballs to collect and we have lucked out on five already."

"I will go for the Six-Star."

"Good; I'll collect the others and chase down the Seven-Star. Hopefully, I can get it before Black or Baby does."

Dabura patted his sister on the shoulder and she opened a wormhole for him. Taking on his Demon God form, Dabura stepped through the wormhole – and straight into chaos.

"What the hell?"

He was in Hell, but there were strange jellybean-like objects floating around the realm, distorting the dimension. The Demon King was baffled at what he was seeing and he finally detected the familiar energy signature of Demigra and the others. However, he didn't get very far before Black appeared before him – the Saiyan looked around at the dimension in confusion and spotted Dabura.

"Oh look, a Demon in his natural-" Dabura's fist smashed into his jaw.

"Stop touching my sister!" the Demon King snarled as he punched Black again and the Saiyan-Kai crashed into one of the giant jellybean constructions.

Black rolled his eyes. "She wanted it, so get over yourself. I have no time for this."

"You are not getting that Dragonball," Dabura stated as he summoned a Hell Sword.

Black sighed. "You can't stop me; I have already proven that you're not worth the effort, so step aside if you wish to keep breathing." Dabura slashed at his face and Black barely dodged the blade. "Then again, your sister is quite the vexing creature and what better person to take my frustrations out on than you."

He took a moment to focus and indigo flames swelled around him as he became a Super Saiyan God. He crooked his finger at Dabura and the Demon King bellowed as he lunged.

-X-

They were too late, Demigra noted in annoyance; Janemba roared, the Six-Star Dark Dragonball pulsing in the creature's chest as he transformed, his power skyrocketing. Now in an empowered Evil Demon form, Janemba grinned savagely and used his Enhanced Dimension Sword to launch the Rakshasa's Claw at Oren – the Tuffle sneered and swiped at the attack to deflect it – his severed hand tumbled towards the ground and he immediately freaked, screaming in pain as he scrambled to evade the rest of the energy blades.

"Arrogant fool," Demigra murmured; Oren abandoned Bojack's body and regenerated his hand and Bojack had a moment of consciousness before he was obliterated by Janemba's Lightning Shower Rain.

"Ha-ha, you lost your body!" Kamin teased her brother; her mocking cost her when she was struck from behind by King Vegeta's Dark King Flash. She was saved from further damage when Baby caught King Vegeta with a wicked kick to the gut.

Janemba roared, using his power to warp Hell around him when Shroom and Salsa moved for him; nearby, Xicor as a Super Saiyan 2 clobbered Hatchiyack with a left hook and the Tuffle Machine smashed through several jellybeans and got implanted in the Spiked Mountain. Janemba used Rakshasa's Claw against Salsa, but the Demon God countered with his double-ended sword, easily battering the energy away. Shroom slashed with his Scythe and Janemba used the Bunkai Teleport to evade the attack – Shroom fired an energy blast into the portal and Janemba re-emerged with a growl, having been struck by the blast; Salsa fired his own blast that nailed Janemba in the head.

Demigra watched, seeing no need to get involved; Janemba was powerful, but he was no match for two Demon Gods and besides, the Demon Wizard had other matters – he flew to Kamin where she was getting up and belted her upside the head with his staff.

"You will return Robelu to me, parasite."

"Make me," Kamin sneered and she unloaded a barrage of energy blasts upon Demigra; he calmly weathered the storm, unaffected by the power and he simply responded by an energy blast from his staff and Kamin tumbled across the ground.

Hatchiyack bellowed in rage, glowing with the Revenger Charge, and it fired the Revenger Cannon; Xicor responded with his Revenge Kamehameha, the two energy waves clashing – as the superior warrior, Xicor simply strengthened his energy beam and overpowered the Revenger Cannon – Hatchiyack roared as it was swallowed by the two energy mixtures and subsequently destroyed; the Four-Star Dark Dragonball rolled along the ground and Xicor smirked as he retrieved his prize.

Baby grimaced in frustration when King Vegeta dodged his Big Bang Attack; he wanted to destroy his hated foe and pay him back for all the atrocities committed to the Tuffles, but he was also trying to keep an eye on Janemba. The demon was evading the Demon Gods, but Baby knew it wouldn't last forever – it was only a matter of time. He observed Hatchiyack's destruction and the moment of disappointment allowed King Vegeta to get a hit in – Baby caught himself and fired a Reverse Shot. King Vegeta avoided the blasts, even when they rebounded, and he prepared the Dark King's Flash – a flying Goku Black crashed into him and halted his attack.

"Oh great," Baby grumbled.

Dabura shouted as he charged at Black with his sword raised high – Black read the movement and darted away from the blade with ease, smirking as he did – Dabura whirled around and spat a globule of saliva. It struck Black's tunic and solidified it into stone – Black hurriedly tore his tunic off to prevent it spreading.

"That is both interesting and disgusting," he murmured. "I hope my child didn't inherit that."

Janemba clashed blades against Salsa, using brutal blows, but the Demon God countered them with grace, his superior power slowly overwhelming the demon. With everyone else occupied, Oren turned his sights towards Janemba – with a grin, he liquefied himself and dived at the demon, entering through the creature's mouth. There was a brief struggle as Oren battled to supplant his control; he was eventually successful, altering Janemba's body to show his domination and the power of the Six-Star seeped into him, nearly overwhelming him.

" _Wow! Such power!"_ Oren thought, almost becoming dizzy from the combination and he narrowly avoided a swipe at his head from Shroom's scythe. In response, he breathed the Hell Gate and Shroom redirected the wave with his weapon.

They had the Six-Star in their possession, Baby noted; now, they needed to escape without the Demons chasing them. He saw Kamin getting belted around by a composed Demigra and it pissed him off; he quickly blasted King Vegeta with a Galick Gun and flew towards his 'child' – he was disappointed not to kill his nemesis, but that unfortunately wasn't a priority. Demigra primed the Energy Jet – Baby grabbed Kamin and vanished. Oren's Lightning Shower Rain failed to deter Shroom and Salsa and Baby appeared, grabbed his tail, and vanished with him before the two Demon Gods could retaliate – Demigra sighed and heard Xicor's shout. The hybrid charged at his 'father' – without looking, Black casually threw his fist back and clocked Xicor in the jaw and the hybrid spiralled away.

"Sorry, boy, but you're not worth the effort today."

"Xicor, give us the Dragonball," Demigra ordered. "Don't give Black the chance to obtain it."

Xicor grumbled at being ordered, but he remembered their deal, and he hurled the Dragonball towards the Demon Wizard. Black allowed Demigra to catch it; after all, he had three already and he had the power to easily take the Six-Star if he so wished – he wanted to defeat Dabura first.

"Can we kill him?" Shroom asked, motioning to Black.

"Do as you please," Demigra replied. "I am needed elsewhere."

He disappeared and Shroom grinned as he turned to Black – the Saiyan-Kai took note of his four opponents and he smirked. "Well, isn't this going to be fun…and one-sided."

"Stop with the taunting," Dabura growled. "I know you're holding back."

"Oh, would you rather I go all-out?" Black replied. "That means you will die…then again, that is my goal. I suppose, I let you have your fun and it was quite amusing; you fought to avenge your sister's imagined besmirched honour and I allowed it…now, play-time is over."

"What is he babbling about?" Shroom questioned.

Black shouted as he ascended into Super Saiyan Rosé. Unimpressed with the form, Shroom flew at Black and swung his scythe – Black blocked the weapon, smirked at Shroom's horrified expression, and sent him flying with a devastating swift kick to the abdomen. The Death God smashed straight through a jellybean construct and skidded along the ground, struggling to breathe. He stood, Black appeared behind him, and struck with a vicious chop – Shroom gasped once, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed in an unconscious heap.

"And next?" Black smirked.

Salsa twirled his sword; Black formed the Rosé-blade. Xicor charged, a blade of green energy forming around his hand, as Dabura descended upon Black with a Hell Sword. Black moved – he deflected Salsa, parried Xicor and kicked him aside, and blocked Dabura. The Demon King spat – Black twirled away from the saliva and blocked Dabura's next blow. Salsa came in from behind at the same time Xicor moved for Black's flank. The Saiyan-Kai shoved the Demon King back and redirected Xicor's blade towards Salsa – the dwarf Demon God narrowly stopped the blade and Black booted Xicor into Salsa, taking them both down. Dabura slashed – Black appeared behind him and blasted him in the back.

"Just give up," Black taunted. "You can't win and if you keep this up, I'll make you pay for your sins…Towa wouldn't be pleased with me, but that's a minor matter."

"Leave my sister out of this!" Dabura snarled and he breathed the Evil Flame.

Black appeared behind Dabura again and elbowed him in the back – the Demon King choked with pain and Black nailed him in the head with a brutal kick – Dabura crashed into the ground and couldn't get up again. Xicor fired the Revenge Kamehameha; Black sneered, used Instant Transmission, and punched Xicor square in the face. The hybrid rebounded quickly and threw a flurry of rapid punches – Black effortlessly blocked every blow with one hand. He let Xicor hammer away for a moment, just to amuse himself, and when the opening presented itself, he drove a powerful punch against Xicor's heart. The hybrid gagged, frozen in pain, eyes wide in shock – Black finished him off with the Divine Lasso and the unconscious hybrid tumbled to the ground.

Black tsk-tsked and faced Salsa – they stared each other down; the Demon God knew he was way out of his league in a match-up and it was pointless to even try…Black was simply too powerful. Instead, Salsa lowered his blade in a rare display of surrender and vanished from the timeline, taking Dabura, Shroom, and Xicor with him. Black casually shrugged as he resumed his normal form – there was plenty of time to kill them later…ending their lives now would take the fun out of it, especially when he couldn't savour it – it would feel meaningless. They didn't deserve any better, but that was Black's personal preference – he wanted them running scared, knowing that their lives could end at his hands at any minute when he so desired. At least now, they would understand their place in the universe: as mortals, they were beneath the gods and could never withstand his divine might.

It was all a game to him now and the game was on.

-X-

"You and him? Again?"

Fuck.

Of course, she should've expected this to happen…there was no way she could slip it past him; Mira's senses were sharp and she was drenched in Black's scent. Seeing her husband's enraged face made her regret her night of passion with Black, but Towa had never been one to be ashamed of anything she did, no matter what, so she held her head high and looked him dead in the eye.

"Yes. We did…multiple times…he is insatiable…but understand, Mira, it was only-"

"I don't care!" Mira snarled viciously. "It was one thing when he violated you and you bore his heir, but now you've willingly dived into bed with him and you carry his stink! And you expect me to be okay with that?!"

"No, that would be foolish; I know I've hurt you, Mira, and I've done irreparable damage; I–"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry! You chose him! You chose him over me!"

"I didn't choose him!" Towa argued. "Things happened, but that doesn't mean-"

"I can never forgive you for this!" Mira spat and her heart skipped a beat in agony. She knew this was a possibility, but it still hurt for her to hear it; that said, her pain couldn't compared to the suffering she put Mira through with her actions. "You have torn my heart out and obliterated it! How can you expect me to follow you when you _reek_ of him?! We are done, Towa!"

This was the most emotion she'd ever seen from him and it was because of her; she could easily shut him down, wipe his memories, and start afresh. She couldn't have him rebelling against her, even if it was her fault – regardless of her actions and what he might think, she still needed him. As the Demon Android continued to vent his rage, Towa took a deep breath, waiting for the moment to disable him – Demigra suddenly appeared between the pair. He took in Mira's enraged state, looked at Towa, caught Black's scent on her, and his smirk grew impossibly wide as he deduced the situation.

"Trouble in paradise?" he inquired.

"Fuck you, Demigra!" Mira spat with such vehemence that even the Demon Wizard was slightly taken aback. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Oh, so you don't want this Dragonball I procured from Xicor?" Demigra asked, revealing said item. "I barely got away from Black with it; appreciate my efforts."

Towa noticed Mira twitch at the mention of Black and she stepped forth to claim the artefact. "Thank you, Demigra."

"You're welcome, Towa. Now, I must be off for the final Dragonball before your lover reaches it first…I take it that your 'efforts' failed to recruit him to our side?"

She noted Mira's spasm and glared at Demigra. "Not that it's any of your business, but that wasn't my intention–"

"What were your intentions, apart from stabbing me in the heart and twisting the knife?" Mira asked snidely.

Demigra, she noted, was enjoying this far too much for her liking; she needed to end his amusement right now. "Gaining myself an ally who could kill Demigra for me." The Demon Wizard's smirk turned into a frown. "Now, if we're done here, I'd like to get the last Dragonball."

"Very well, Towa," Demigra said while Mira glowered in the background. "Where is it?"

"Planet Vampa."


	17. Seven Star of Wrath

A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews, faves, and follows; they're all greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

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Planet Vampa was not a pleasant world. There was not a single nice thing that could be said about the planet and Towa had seen a number of repugnant worlds – Vampa had them all beat. Not only was the ugliness offensive to the eyes, but the oppressive heat that clung to her skin and seeped into her pores was nearly damn unbearable – and Towa had been to various hot worlds. She liked heat and warmth, but not on such an intense level as this.

Then there was the native wildlife.

A group of Vampa Beetles approached the Demons, eager for a meal…their ruined corpses littered the ground in a matter of seconds and Towa led the way towards the Seven-Star Dark Dragonball. If she could claim the last relic, she could call this mission a success and worth the effort of being on this miserable planet; she just had to plan on obtaining the other Dragonballs from Baby and Black.

Perhaps, she could 'persuade' Black to give her his collection…

Towa shook those thoughts from her head – it'd been fun, but she cost herself Mira in the process and the heartbreak she felt as a result was greater than when he left her after Eikyu's birth. She cast a look over her shoulder at her creation, but he intensely ignored her – she deserved his scorn, she believed…after her tryst with Black, she knew there was no going back with Mira…the damage had been done and it was too much. That said, it did make her think about Black's offer and she couldn't imagine accepting it, despite her connection with him – it was purely physical and after what she suffered with Mira's defection, she sought nothing from Black but his demise.

"Are we getting any closer?" Demigra demanded. "This planet looks the same no matter where we go and I'd rather not stay here too long."

"Aw, worried about your hair melting from the heat?" Towa teased, even though she was regretting her leather attire, but he didn't need to know that.

"Keep it up, Towa, and you'll understand what imprisonment in the Crack of Time is like."

"Tempting, but I'll pass. We are nearly there, so don't fret."

The Dragonball in her possession pulsated, increasing in tempo, and Towa began the descent towards a cave. The others landed with her and an elderly man stepped out of the cave; Towa immediately recognised him as a Saiyan.

"Who are you?" he called out, his voice a mixture of hope and caution.

"I am Towa," she replied and she presented the Four-Star. "My companions and I are searching for a similar item – have you seen it?"

"Yes, indeed I have," Paragus answered. "This way."

He entered the cave and the Demons followed him; the stench of filth and death hit them, the carcasses of Vampa Beetles littering the ground, and Towa wrinkled her nose in disgust. She couldn't imagine living on this wretched planet, let alone visiting it; Paragus crouched by another person and Demigra used his staff to illuminate the cave, revealing a younger, scarred Saiyan with the Seven-Star Dark Dragonball embedded in his chest. To Towa's surprise, the Saiyan didn't appear to be suffering from any of the side effects like every other host of the Dragonballs – he was hunched over, hands gripping his shaggy hair as he fought to suppress the influence of the Dragonball, a mental battle that took all his effort, but appeared to be effective.

"This is my son, Broly," Paragus introduced. "Whatever this is, it bonded with him earlier…he won't let me attempt to remove it and I'm at a loss at what to do."

"Perhaps we can help?" Towa suggested. "We've encountered situations similar to your son and I have been researching the power of these artefacts…I understand they can greatly increase the strength of their hosts."

"Hm, I don't know," the elderly Saiyan scuffed his beard. "As nice as it is to finally see another face, I have no idea who you people are or if I can even trust you."

"How did you end up here in the first place?" Demigra inquired. "I thought the Saiyans were extinct."

"King Vegeta banished my son to this wretched planet decades ago out of pure jealously; I followed and our ship was damaged upon arrival, stranding us here. We've been lucky to survive for this long…I know my dream of getting my revenge on the king and his family kept me going…but you say the Saiyans are extinct…how?"

"It doesn't matter, but your dream of revenge is not dead," Towa said. "In fact, we have been having troubles with the king's son, Vegeta, hence why we're gathering the Dragonballs."

Paragus' good eye widened in surprise. "Vegeta is alive? Then, there's still a chance!"

"Of course," the Time Witch smiled, purposely omitting the fact King Vegeta worked with them. She wanted that Dragonball and Broly's possession of it intrigued her…why was he unaffected?

"And you can help Broly?"

"If you allow us to, then yes, and in return, we will help you get your revenge."

"Broly, my son, do you hear this?" Paragus excitedly asked the younger Saiyan. He simply shuddered in response and Putine let out a sympathetic gasp. "Broly, our dream will be realised at long last."

Towa smiled. There was potential in the younger Saiyan and if she could merge it with the full strength of the Dragonball's energy, then she might just have a weapon to use against Black and Baby.

-X-

The Time Patrol sped towards the location of the Seven-Star Dark Dragonball with Beat in the lead; they were all intensely focused on claiming the relic before the Time Breakers, Baby Vegeta, or Goku Black, having failed so far in the previous retrieval missions. Chronoa wasn't entirely worried, as she noticed that Black appeared to work in opposition to the Time Breakers, so that worked in their favour…for now. Beat could tell that Chronoa was on edge and had been ever since Mechikabura was revived in the future, even though she did her best to not show it in front of him and his team…if they could just get one Dragonball, they could easily keep it out of Towa's reach at the Time Nest.

If only it was that easy.

The team were getting closer when dark clouds began to form overhead. Beat slowed his flight in puzzlement, watching the thick, dark cloud gather together – a whirlwind of cloud descended until it was level with the team, red eyes flashed, and the cloud cleared to reveal Goku Black. He smirked and instantly transformed into Super Saiyan Rosé and flashed his sign at the group.

"And where would a little group of heathen mortals like you be going to?" he questioned.

"We're here to stop you and Towa from getting the Dragonball," Beat replied, the others by his side. The young Saiyan knew he was no match for the deadly Saiyan-Kai, but he felt that perhaps as a group, they could prevail against him.

"You are disappointing; I already have three Dragonballs, and the last one is mine."

"Not if we have anything to say about it!"

Beat shouted as he took on the power of a Super Saiyan God; around him, his team ascended to the same plane of power. Black frowned. "So, the mortals think they are divine, do they? Not to mention that the Supreme Kai of Time saw fit to grant you this power? I can smell her fingers on you. If gods freely give their power to mortals like it's a mere toy to be passed around, then the indulgent mortals will grow fatter in their arrogant sin-"

"Enough!" Beat cried, unleashing a Kamehameha Wave.

Black smirked and vanished out of the way – Tsumuri choked, blood spilling down his chin, a pink energy blade erupting from his chest. Black grinned sadistically and ripped the Rosé-blade upwards, cleanly bisecting the Namekian.

"Tsumuri!" Note screamed.

"Get out of there! Get out of there right now! Abort mission!" Chronoa bellowed from the Time Nest, but Beat didn't hear her – the death of his friend imbued him with rage and his flaming aura exploded around him as the physical manifestation.

"You will pay for that, Black! I'll make you pay!"

"One down, four to go," Black grinned savagely. "Come, feed me your hate!"

Beat and Nimu rushed Black at once, hurling a combined physical onslaught at him – Black chuckled as he easily defended against the attacks, holding the pair off. Note and Kabra hung back, both charging an energy attack with as much power as they could muster; given Black's lethal notoriety, they had to all fight as one and hopefully overwhelm him. Black unleashed a Break Strike, blowing Beat and Nimu back – Note and Kabra launched their energy waves and scored a direct hit, erupting in a mighty explosion from the combination of their godly power.

"Did we get him?" Nimu asked.

"No," Beat sternly replied. "I don't think so; that would be too easy."

"Listen to me!" Chronoa all but screamed at them. "You need to leave right now!"

Pink energy spears were fired from the cloud of smoke, forcing the Time Patrollers to dodge them – blood dribbled from a cut on Beat's cheek after a close call. Black burst out of the dust cloud and he caught Nimu with a mighty kick to the gut – the Android choked, his eyes white. Beat fired a Kamehameha Wave and Black swatted it aside like it was nothing; he hurled a Rosé Power Ball and Beat narrowly avoided the deadly blast, the heat of the sphere making him realise they were fighting a losing battle.

Kabra yelled as he charged, shrouded in his godly aura; he wheezed in pain when Black's fist ploughed straight through his abdomen – Black withdrew his fist and decked the Majin with a shout of "Dragon Fist!" – a gigantic dragon of pink and ruby and veiled in purple energy exploded from his knuckles and charged at Kabra, consuming him – when the dragon erupted in a massive explosion, there was not a single trace of the Majin Time Patroller left.

Note unleashed a barrage of fiery energy blasts, smothering Black in the storm – he easily flew out of the bombardment and brought his fingers an inch from her chest – he slammed home a punch that instantly stopped her heart dead in its tracks. Note's eyes went blank and she reverted to base form as she tumbled towards the ground. Beat caught her before she crashed and saw how limp she was in his arms, unable to sense her energy signature.

"Note, wake up. Come on, please wake up," he choked and sobbed, tears forming in his eyes as he checked her pulse. Nothing. "Please don't be dead, please don't." Her lifeless head lolled back; anguish and despair crushed Beat's heart, tears rolling down his face and he turned that into rage as he laid his dead girlfriend down. "BLAAAACK! I'LL KILL YOU"

Black laughed maniacally as the pressure of Beat's godly rage washed over him, easily withstanding the wave. "You brought this upon yourself," he sneered. "For defiling the beauty of the universe and standing on the pedestal of divinity when you are naught but a filthy mortal, you deserve the punishment of death for your vile sins – and not even death grants you release from your atrocities, for your corruption will persist in the afterlife."

"SHUT UP!"

Nimu tried to fight Black, but he evaded the Android's fists with laughter and punched him away and chased him with the Super Rosé Kamehameha - Nimu screamed as he was devoured by the energy wave – and then he was no more. Beat lashed out with a punch; Black caught his fist and slowly began crushing his hand – growling against the pain, Beat socked him in the face – Black head-butted him. The young Saiyan coated his fists with his godly aura and lunged again – Black dodged the first few punches, grinning like a madman, which in turn infuriated Beat; he yelled as he threw an almighty punch – Black caught his fist and flared his aura, slowly overwhelming the Time Patroller's fire as he struggled to break free. Black cocked his fist – and drove it with force against Beat's arm – the young Saiyan screamed in agony, his arm dangling at an odd angle.

"Your anger does not compare to mine, mortal, for my rage is infinite," Black said as Beat whimpered. "You committed blasphemy against the gods and for that, you will suffer my wrath!"

This was it, the Time Patroller realised, it was over for him. He'd fought and he'd lost. He refused to simply give up and began channelling energy into his good hand; if he was going to die, he would go down fighting to his last breath. The Kamehameha took formation, Black snickered and summoned the Rosé-blade – he flew at Beat, ready to end his life – Beat screamed as he unleashed the mighty energy wave at full power. Black charged through the Kamehameha unaffected, dread dawned on Beat's terrified face, and Black fired off a series of energy spears, impaling the Time Patroller; tears ran down Beat's face at the realisation of his impending death and Black slowed his movements in order to savour the moment. He licked his lips and assumed the final pose – the spears detonated and Beat's lifeless body plummeted to the ground.

"And the rest is silence," Black smirked with a flourishing bow, resuming his base form. He'd come for the Dragonball and had detected Towa's energy upon his arrival, but now that the fight was over, he couldn't sense her – he could only assume she'd obtained the Dragonball and left already. So be it…he'd get it from her, one way or another; with a grin, he left Planet Vampa.

-X-

At the Time Nest, Chronoa collapsed in a heap, overcome with anguish – her team was dead, killed in a matter of moments by Black, and there'd been nothing she could do to save them. She'd felt so hopeless, watching them perish one by one; each death broke her heart and now it was shattered.

Grief razed the Supreme Kai and she wept in sorrow for her fallen warriors.

-X-

Towa bubbled with excitement – she finally had two Dragonballs in her possession and the possibility of a potential ally to use against Black and Baby. Upon their return to home, she had scanned Broly for his power…and the scanners _shattered_ , which left Towa in amazement; in terms of appearance, Broly didn't come across as hugely powerful, as even Mira sniffed derisively at him, but that just excited her. There was a giant well of untapped power within the Saiyan and she wanted to bring it all out – if the power within Broly was as incalculable as she imagined, then Black and Baby were as good as dead. The thought of controlling such power made her giddy…Broly's strength might even be enough for her to take the Time Patrol head-on…and dare she say…Gods of Destruction.

There was the matter of bringing that energy under her control, so while Paragus and Broly were discovering the existence of showers (forty years without bathing created a wretched stench that nearly polluted the entire castle), Towa and Demigra worked on fashioning a Time Breaker mask. Given previous failures with the mask, like Cooler and Xicor, this one needed to be durable enough for the intensity of battle; with her research on the Dark Dragonballs so far, Towa used her magic to interlay the energy of the Four-Star within the mask – the idea was to use the power of the Four-Star to control the Seven-Star in Broly, therefore giving her another source of domination over the Saiyan in case the mask failed to rein him in.

She could not afford the slightest chance of him breaking free if he got too powerful for her.

-X-

As someone who grew up on a planet with no water source, Broly was both confounded and intrigued by its existence – it felt amazing on his skin, washing away the thick grime and dust that built up on his body over the years; it also tasted beautiful, so much better than the gunk of the Vampa Beetles – Broly drank his fill of the pure liquid, astonished by such a discovery. The soap given to him by the short, aqua-haired woman was confusing, but he followed her instructions at best as he could – rub it all over his body and hair to clean himself; the concept of washing oneself was foreign to the Saiyan, but it had been requested of him and his father, so he complied.

He found he enjoyed the experience and was disappointed that it had to come to an end; there was work to be done. He stepped out of the cubicle, dried himself off with the soft cloth, and got dressed in the clothes that had been left for him by Putine: the attire was battle armour similar to Mira's clothes, and Broly tied Ba's ear around his waist, running his fingers through the green fur. The Dragonball burned a hole through the armour so it was visible and Broly touched it in contemplation – he could feel the dark energy pulsing in his veins like an infection and at times, it made his head feel like it was on fire; he didn't like the feeling at all and wanted the object removed, but according to his father, it had to stay for the purpose of their mission, just like the shock collar Broly wore.

He left the bathroom and was greeted by Putine, who gave him a once-over, nodding with approval. "Ah, good, you're ready. Excellent, we can get started."

"What is this?" Broly inquired, gesturing to the Dragonball.

"It's called a Dragonball. If you can gather all seven, they can grant you any wish you desire," Putine explained. "Towa created these for the purpose of helping our master, but we've found they can grant immense power to those possessing them…like you."

"I don't like it…it feels hot…too hot…but Father says it's important," the Saiyan admitted.

"Did he say the same about your collar?" the sorceress asked, mainly out of curiosity; she was no fool – she worked out damn quick that the collar around Broly's neck was to keep him in line, although for what reason, she didn't know. It wasn't like it mattered anyway, not when she knew Towa planned to put the Saiyan under her control.

Broly fingered the steel ring. "Sometimes….I lose control when my father and I train…I don't wish to hurt him, so he made this for me…I don't like it either, but it's important."

"Well, when we see Towa, you won't have to worry about that anymore."

The scarred Saiyan hesitated. "I wish to say thank you for the shower and soap."

That got Putine's attention; no-one ever said thanks for such minor conveniences. "You're…welcome. To be honest, I've never heard a Saiyan use manners before."

"Father says they're important."

She side-eyed the Saiyan. "It seems to me that your father says that about a lot of things." She almost felt bad at the prospect of mind-controlling the scarred Saiyan; it sounded to her that Paragus kept Broly under his thumb, greatly exerting his influence on his son, and while Putine expected that of a parent, to her, Paragus saw Broly as an extension of himself and not an individual. Since his arrival at the castle, the elderly Saiyan spoke of his desire of revenge against Vegeta, something that Broly was yet to bring up, and Putine questioned if the younger Saiyan even wanted that, judging by she'd seen and heard so far.

Broly nodded softly. "He's says that I'm important, that my strength will be enough for the both of us…I don't like fighting, but I have to protect my father as he ages."

A twang of sympathy burst in Putine's chest; she had never been the sentimental type, but she could admit that she was more in touch with her emotions and empathy than the rest of the Demons and listening to Broly made her question Towa's decision – the Saiyan had no aspiration to fight and seemed to possess a soft heart, a rarity from the mighty race. The sorceress couldn't work out why she felt this way towards Broly – she had helped Demigra and Towa possess numerous warriors against their will to serve the Demons' cause without remorse, but she felt no desire to inflict that upon Broly; she had no say in the matter overall and that made her feel queasy.

"With us, you don't have to worry about that anymore. We've got it from here for you," Putine said, trying to mitigate her guilt at stealing Broly's free will – she truly felt bad for the scarred Saiyan and didn't want anything horrible to happen to him, but that was going to happen as soon as he stepped into Towa's laboratory. Was there another way?

Broly gave her a small smile and her heart did a small flip. "Thank you…Putine."

"Anything to help. And here we are."

They entered the laboratory – and Xicor stood in their way, a sneer on his face. "You took your time – were you showing him the touch of a woman?"

"That's rude and none of your business," Putine stated matter-of-factly. "Last I checked, you have no authority over me, Xicor, so kindly remember your place."

"Like I give a fuck about what you say? You can't order me around."

"I don't need to – you're too insignificant to even notice."

Indignant anger flared in the hybrid's eyes. "Insignificant? Have your forgotten my lineage, _Demon_?"

"Leave her alone," Broly spoke up before Putine could retort, a hardened glare on his face. Putine had been kind towards him and he wouldn't stand for this other Saiyan to be cruel to her.

Xicor sneered mockingly at him. "Stay out of this, weakling. You're below me."

Broly's eyes flashed gold and he stepped towards Xicor; Putine threw her arm out in front of him. "Let him go, Broly, he's not worth our time; Demigra and Towa will sort him out."

The scarred Saiyan growled, but he acquiesced and stepped back, his eyes returning to normal; Xicor laughed. "What in the Twelve Universes does Towa see in you? The Dragonball?"

"Power greater than your own," Towa said, appearing out of nowhere and startling Xicor; he never even heard her approach and he growled in annoyance – she was in her Demon Goddess form and she prodded him with her staff. "Now, step out of the way, boy; we have important work to do and none of it involves you."

The hybrid gnashed his teeth, but did as he was told and moved aside. Towa gave Broly and Putine a smile and lead them to her work station; Paragus was nearby, having witnessed the confrontation between Broly and Xicor – if it hadn't been for the aqua-haired sorceress, the elderly Saiyan would've had to step in and prevent his son from losing control – he couldn't afford that right now, not when revenge was so close.

"Now, Broly, I'd like you to put this mask on," Towa said, presenting him with said mask. Paragus raised an eyebrow – he had his suspicions about the item, but he didn't know the full details and so, he said nothing – everything rode on trusting the Demons.

"Why?" Broly hesitantly asked, looking to his father for verification.

"Just do it, son. Everything will be fine," the elderly Saiyan said, hoping his words were true.

Putine moved away from Broly as he cautiously accepted the mask from Towa; she gripped her staff, now possessing the Four-Star Dark Dragonball – Demigra took up position in case he was needed, alongside Gravy. Broly felt the dark energy radiating from the mask and he felt conflicted about wearing it, given the tension that suddenly filled the room – if his father said it was okay, then it would be okay – he put the mask on.

Dark energy pulsed as soon as the mask made contact, suctioning to his face, and the Dragonball burned in his chest. His mind felt like it was on fire, attacked by the combination of the Dragonball and Towa's magic, and he yelled as he tried to remove the mask with desperation – Towa channelled the power of the Four-Star to the Seven-Star, exerting her influence over the Saiyan. A green aura exploded around Broly as he fell to his knees in agony, battling against the magic that assaulted his mind – Putine bit her lower lip in anxiety – Towa flared her full power and Demigra assisted with his magic. The scarred Saiyan appeared to be in pain and Paragus wanted to help his son, but he held back, trusting in the Demons – eventually, Broly stilled, chest heaving in exertion and he rose to his full height. Towa approached him, staff raised just in case, and Broly looked down at her.

"Broly…do you comply?" she asked. He didn't respond; they never did, simply because they couldn't, so she took that as a sign. Just in case, she gave him a mental command and he complied, blasting Xicor with a Powered Shell. As the hybrid snarled at being used as a target, Towa laughed.

At long last, she had the power she needed to destroy the adversaries.

* * *

A/N: Don't worry, the Super Saiyan Smackdown is coming soon.


	18. Return of Cooler

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. **XenoLucifer** , I'm sorry you feel that way; I'll speed up the story.

* * *

There was a flash of light and Baby, Oren, and Kamin appeared in the laboratory of their spire.

"Leek!" Baby immediately shouted.

"He can't hear you," Kamin reminded him. "Why? Because he's dead; you killed him."

"Oh, right…Nut!"

The Tuffleized Namekian scientist hurried into the laboratory; after Baby killed Leek before departing into the past, the Namekian had to take over for his predecessor. He bowed before Baby upon arrival. "Yes, my liege?"

"I need you to study and draw out the full power of these Dragonballs," Baby demanded. "I need more power if I hope to defeat Black and the Demons; the power they wield…I cannot understand it and I hate it!"

"Yes, my liege, right away, my liege," Nut cried and he ran for the equipment he needed.

"If I intend to surpass Black, I need the same power that he has. It may be a gaudy transformation that lacks power, but there is something about it that I cannot understand…and yet, I know I need it. These Dragonballs may be the key to that strength."

-X-

He watched her through the window as she worked in her laboratory, their baby daughter sound asleep by her side within her capsule. As always when it came to the Time Witch, Black's mind was in a constant flux – he hated her, but he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He expanded his senses, pinpointing the rest of the major Demons – it annoyed him that he could detect Mechikabura and do nothing about him…he smirked when he felt Xicor's energy – the boy could've achieved greatness worthy of a god if he hadn't been such a fool and turned on him.

The child stirred and Towa swiftly tended to her – Black watched them, captivated for some reason, and the child resumed her slumber without fuss, allowing Towa to resume her work. He approached the window, laid his hand upon the glass and exerted a tiny fraction of his strength – Towa jumped in surprise and whirled around with her spear ready when the glass shattered.

"Oh, it's you," she coolly greeted him. "Tell me why I shouldn't call the guards?"

"Because I'll just kill them," Black casually replied, sauntering close to her. "You've got no-one who can take me down."

"Funny, because I remember Mechikabura blasting a neat hole through you. If I hadn't stitched you back together, you most likely would've died."

He suppressed the memory, but failed to restrain the growl in his throat. "I didn't have my full power back then – now, I would be-"

"No, because you're failing to understand his power; you cannot hope to stand a chance against him, especially when he regains his youth-"

"Ah, so that's what you need the Dragonballs for," Black grinned. "It's such a shame that I have three of them…what will you do?"

"Oh, trust me, I have my ways," Towa replied. She had the means downstairs with Demigra and Putine, testing his abilities and their control over him. She wanted to gloat, but refrained, wanting to see the shock on Black's face when he would first meet Broly in combat.

"Enlighten me," he closed the gap between them. His eyes flicked to the sleeping Eikyu. "Send the child away."

"Oh, yes, I will get someone up here to take her away because you're horny," was her sarcastic reply. "The answer is no, Black – you destroyed my marriage with Mira."

"Last I checked, you were quite enthusiastic despite that. Admit it…I'm better."

"Your overinflated ego does not need feeding."

"So I _am_ better than your self-built sex toy."

Towa closed her eyes; Kami, she could feel a headache approaching because of him and she turned back to her bench. "Don't you have some mortals to kill? I have work to do…go slaughter the Tuffles."

"Although Baby wears Vegeta's body, he is not a challenge to me and it'll be a boring fight."

"If you keep annoying me, then I will provide you with a challenging fight."

"I rather you provide me with a different kind of fight."

She looked over her shoulder at him, a tiny smirk appearing on her face. "Have I left that much of an impression on you? I didn't realise that I, a disgusting mortal, could sway and sate a god like you."

"If you prefer, I could kill you instead."

"Don't be boring, Black. Besides, if you're trying to get me into bed with you, you're doing a terrible job at it – my answer is still no. It was fun, but I've lost Mira as a result, and I'm not interested."

"You don't need him," Black said, stepping into her persona space. His hands itched to touch her, but he held back. He knew he wanted her and even though he could easily take what he wanted, he felt the need to convince her to want him in return, for her to give him her blessings – call it leftovers from Gowasu's training or standard Kai politeness, but he wasn't a barbarian. "That robot is a weakling – he could never compare to my power."

"First of all, he is an Android-" Towa whirled around and found Black just inches from her, hunger burning in his eyes. Desire yearned through her at the close proximity as she read his need for her in his body language – his hands went to her hips, pulling her flush against his torso. She regained her senses and pushed him back, breaking the contact – her lust whined, but her logic prevailed. "Second of all, there will never be an 'us', Black, if that is what you want."

"I want you," he said, matter-of-factly.

"Ugh, typical Saiyan, consumed by primal instincts. For someone who thinks of himself as a pure god, you sure act like quite a mortal, dragged down by lust. You hate sin and yet, you're drowning in it yourself, Black."

"That's your fault…you've done something to me and now I can't get rid of you from my system."

"Bullshit it's my fault. Despite your status, you're exactly the same as me and every other damn mortal in the universe, bound by the same feelings that drive all of us. Your cause is a lost one and it was lost the moment you wanted me by your side."

"I can still have you and have my goal realised at the same time."

"Why do you want me? It's mostly for the sex, right? A god gets laid for the first time and he's smitten…it'd actually be quite sweet if I wasn't actively planning your death."

That gave Black some pause. He'd never really thought too hard on why he wanted her – he just knew that there was something between them and that he couldn't bring himself to kill her; if she were to die, he felt it would upset him. Another reason could be that he wanted his daughter to stand with him in the universe of the gods and it wouldn't sit right with him to dismiss her mother. Besides, with Towa's intelligence, she could be a major boon to him. in truth, however, there was a small part of him that didn't want to be completely alone in his utopia – he had Zamasu before, but Zamasu was gone, erased by Zeno, and now, Black had procreated, gifting himself with a small family – he just had to convince Towa to join him. He couldn't fathom why he had these feelings or where they come from, but he couldn't destroy them, so he really had no choice but to go with them; he could ignore them as much as he wanted, but he was sick of the constant warring in his head.

Was all this some by-product of his forced separation from Zamasu at Trunks' hands or a result of inhabiting Goku's body for so long that the instincts and emotions became a part of him? If his goal was to eliminate all mortals, why was Towa, and to a lesser extent, their daughter, the only exceptions? Didn't that fly in the face of what he wanted to achieve?

What did he truly want?

He glanced at the baby again; her eyes were open, thanks to her parents' chatter and she was watching them both. He turned towards the baby – Towa waved her hand and Eikyu vanished from the bench; Black glared at the Time Witch.

"I'm not letting you near her."

"Fine…but that means it's just you and me now."

Towa rolled her eyes as he closed the gap between them again, his hands on her hips once more. Heat radiated between the pair and Towa did her best to ignore her body's pull towards him. She could admit that she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of throwing in with Black – he had the power she craved and the same murderous tendencies; she could see herself siding with him, but he'd cost her Mira (she was aware of her own hand in the matter, but preferred to blame Black) and she didn't need Black when she had Mechikabura.

"Join me," Black whispered, his lips a hair's breadth away from hers. "What have you got to lose?"

"My dignity," she dead-panned in reply. He sat her on the bench, looping her legs around his waist as he nuzzled her neck. "Wouldn't my existence conflict with your Zero Mortal Plan? Or is it going to be called the Two Mortal Plan instead?"

"Our child is already a deity, thanks to me; I can ignore her mortal side, and as for you, you may be a vermin, but I can elevate you to my realm. I offer you a beautiful utopia."

"Mechikabura can give me my home back," she said, suppressing her urges as best she could, but she knew she was fighting a losing battle if the way her body sung under his touch was any indicator.

"My idea is better and once this universe is ours, we can branch off into the multiverse. Imagine, all the universes in existence under our rule."

He was insistent and while she normally wouldn't say no, even though she was actively plotting his death – after all, who else could claim that feat of dallying with a god, especially a god who desired to exterminate all mortals – Towa simply wasn't in the mood. She used her staff to create a wormhole behind Black, kissed him as a distraction, and with a hand on his chest, she shoved him into the wormhole. She smirked at the shocked expression on his face and blew him a kiss as she swiftly closed the wormhole, not giving a damn where she placed him.

-X-

"Damn that witch," Black growled as soon as he exited the portal in wherever the hell he was. "I should just slaughter the lot of them instead…maybe that will change her mind. Yes, I think I've played nice for too long."

-X-

He stood still like a silent sentinel, eyes glowing red from the effects of the mask; Putine softly approached Broly and gently touched his hand. He didn't respond, since it wasn't a command, and there was a twinge of remorse in Putine's heart. Broly had passed the basic training session with Demigra and Mira, easily carrying out their commands without any signs of resistance. The Seven-Star glowed dully within his chest, its power used to hold him captive – once his mission was complete, the Dragonball would be removed to be used for Mechikabura's wish. As for what would happen to Broly afterwards, Putine wasn't entirely sure, but she knew that those who wore out their use were usually discarded like trash…she didn't want that to happen to Broly.

"Ah, Putine," Demigra greeted when he entered the room. "I wasn't expecting you here with the Saiyan."

"Can I help you, Demigra?" the sorceress asked.

"Perhaps you could assist me; we are to take Broly to the Tuffles and retrieve the Dragonballs."

"What about Goku Black?"

"We don't know where he is, not since the incident with the Six-Star," the Demon Wizard told her. "Until he shows up again, our focus is on eliminating the Tuffles."

"I see…I will gladly assist," Putine accepted.

"Good. Let's see how Broly measures up in a real combat zone…he may have power, but it's never been fully realised, not when his only training partner is his weakling of a father."

Demigra tapped his staff on the ground, issuing a command to Broly; the Saiyan stood straight and followed the Demon Wizard like a robot. Putine sighed and followed after the pair to the main hall – there, Salsa, Shroom, Xicor, Mira, and Paragus awaited them. The elderly Saiyan looked at his son in concern, but he ultimately said nothing – he was in debt to the Demons for saving him and Broly from Vampa and giving them the opportunity to have their revenge against the Vegeta bloodline, but truth be told, he wasn't completely happy about his son being a puppet for the Demons. Something about their dark magic left him apprehensive, not to mention their vague comments whenever he asked about anything in regards to Vegeta or who their leader was – he just had to trust the Demons and hope both he and Broly could come out unscathed.

"Paragus, in moments, you will have your dream realised," Demigra said. "Your son shows exceptional aptitude and we thank you for your assistance in this matter."

"It was my pleasure," Paragus gave a small bow. "You will not be disappointed with my son."

"Good. Well then, shall we?"

-X-

The ship coasted through Earth's atmosphere, silently flying towards its destination. In the main hub, Cooler flicked his tail with barely-restrained impatience – he wasn't like his brother, but he was eager for revenge and after so long with intense training (so intense it nearly killed him several times over), he felt he'd finally reached the pinnacle where he could exact his vengeance upon the Demons.

" _They dare try to make me their slave – the fools! They are not fit to kiss my feet. Death is the only answer to the Demon plague and only I, Cooler, will reign supreme."_

Behind him, a fleet of ships followed, all loaded with loyal soldiers; reforming the Empire had been difficult, given the passage of time, but Cooler was delighted to learn that his name was still feared and respected after all these years. Once word had been sent out that he'd returned and was looking for recruits, applicants slowly trickled in and filled his ranks. Normally, Cooler would personally oversee the training of his soldiers and weed out the weak and useless, but he'd been intently focused on his own training and left the results of his army to a few hand-picked generals.

If the fruits of his labour had been truly realised like he believed, then he didn't really need an army – they were merely cannon fodder, but they did have their uses.

"My Lord, we are approaching a Demon base," an alien lieutenant reported.

"Open fire," Cooler ordered. "Raze the area and leave nothing behind."

"Understood."

His ship unleashed a blistering salvo with their cannons, blasting everything in their path; the fleet followed suit, bombarding the base with energy blasts. Any Demons and Time Breakers on the ground were swept up in the destruction, obliterated by the sudden and vicious attack.

"Proceed to the Demon Castle," Cooler instructed. "Have a ship remain to pick off the stragglers and finish the job; I want no survivors."

Two ships broke off from the fleet and hovered over the burning remains of the base, taking pot shots to erase any survivors and ensure the eradication of the Demon forces; Cooler's ship kept the lead as it surged through the air towards the Demon Castle. His tail twitched in anticipation, but he knew he had to keep a level head – it wouldn't do to take after his brother and muck things up because he got too eager…no, he had to remain patient…all good things come to those who wait.

At his command, another two ships broke off from the fleet to seek out the nearest compound to the Castle and destroy any chance at reinforcements; Cooler left the main hub and exited his ship – he could see the shimmer of energy around the structure and he smirked, raising his index finger – energy gathered into the immense Supernova and with a shout, he hurled it at the shield.

The shield buzzed as it withstood the full force of the Supernova – Cooler gave the order and his fleet unleashed their full power upon the shield – the shield hummed in response to the overwhelming assault, slowly buckling under the pressure – a second Supernova destroyed its resistance and the shield capitulated, screeching as it was annihilated. Several Time Breakers rose up to defend the Castle – they were shot down with a Death Beam each.

"Slaughter anyone you come across," Cooler demanded as he led the way into the Castle, a group of his soldiers at his back. "Today, the Cooler Empire becomes established."

Any Time Breaker or Demon who crossed his path were instantly killed with a Death Beam to the heart – Cooler fired them with extreme precision, hardly breaking a sweat as he and his soldiers spread throughout the Castle, slaughtering all in their path. Outside, his ship fired a few shots at the Castle to destabilise it and throw their opponents off – Cooler punched a Time Breaker through the chest and dropped the body – King Vegeta stood before him and the Icejin smirked.

"It has been a long time since I saw that face…to be honest, I thought Frieza smashed it in," Cooler said. "It comes as no surprise that my brother cannot finish off a simple monkey…and as always, I have to do the clean-up for him." King Vegeta lunged with a knee strike that Cooler barely blocked; an uppercut to the jaw blasted the Icejin out of the Castle; King Vegeta pursued him. "Oh, you have power, I see. I was hoping I wouldn't have to exert myself, but I see I have no other choice."

The explosion of golden flames illuminated the sky.

-X-

With Black gone, Towa had been able to resume her work, shoving all thoughts of him out of her mind; she recalled Eikyu to her side, the baby watching her contently. Towa glanced at her daughter every so often and it brought her mind back to the child's father, much to the Time Witch's consternation; his offer was tantalising, but it meant betraying everything she worked so hard for and she couldn't just give that up.

Then, her home came under attack.

When the shield disintegrated and the alarms screeched of an impending attack, Towa immediately checked on the embryo of Mira's child and as a precaution, she sent the tank through time; if she survived, then she would retrieve it, but if not…the tank could ensure the gestation without her.

The Castle was rocked by attacks to its structure and the spire began to twist and decay; Towa grabbed Eikyu and hurried in search of Mechikabura, taking on her Demon God form as she did. Her grandfather was powerful, yes, but he was also old and therefore not as fast as he used to be; she feared for his safety, while also needing to get her daughter to him so she could defend her home. Whoever dared attacked her home would soon regret their decision.

Several aliens crossed her path and Towa recognised the symbol on their armour – she didn't give them a chance, firing an explosive Spear-Shock at the group that obliterated them.

" _Cooler,"_ she thought as she floated through the crumbling wreckage of the Castle. _"You're a fool if you think you can take us on – even I could defeat you with my child in my arm."_

More of Cooler's soldiers. Towa shielded Eikyu as she aimed her staff – there was an explosion as part of the castle's interior was obliterated, the debris taking out the soldiers – the Time Witch gasped as Final Form Cooler descended inside, his skin and armour a brilliant golden sheen, but her eyes were drawn to the object in his hand – King Vegeta's severed head with pieces of his spine still attached. Cooler casually tossed the head to the floor and turned towards Towa.

"Ah, there she is, the bane of my existence. What's that you have there, Towa?"

"None of your business," the Time Witch responded, tucking Eikyu away from Cooler's sight. His power was immense, easily greater than her own, and she had no desire to tangle with him; she needed to protect her daughter and she called upon her magic to teleport the baby away – her hand suddenly felt empty and a gasp of shock escaped her lips.

"A baby? How interesting," Cooler noted as he stared at Eikyu, holding her upside-down by one leg. Towa recovered from the surprise of his speed and whirled around – his tail slapped against her head and knocked her to the floor. "There is power within this child…perhaps I could use that to my advantage. Imagine, your child helping me enforce my empire – a fitting form of revenge."

"Give her back!" Towa shouted. She flew up and launched a Bloody Sauce from her staff; Cooler calmly destroyed the blasts with an energy wave of his own, nearly taking Towa out in the process.

She summoned numerous hands of darkness from her staff, attempting to regain her daughter – Cooler fired another energy wave that erased the Darkness Hands and he sliced his hand through the air – Towa leapt into the air to avoid the Emperor's Edge, but that left her open to a crushing gut blow from Cooler. He heaved her through the levels of the Castle and deep into the ground beneath the building; he raised his index finger and burst through the roof as he gathered energy for the Golden Supernova, Eikyu wailing in his possession.

"Hush, child. Consider this a purging of your demonic life and the birth of your new life in my Empire," Cooler stated, and he hurled the Golden Supernova.

The Demon Castle shattered in a frenzied eruption under the intense power of the Golden Supernova. Cooler watched with detached interest, ignoring the wails of the baby; Time Breakers were vaporised in an instant, forked gorges splintered in the earth, seeping the power of the Golden Supernova deep underground. The gigantic attack finally detonated, devastating the area and leaving a massive crater where the Castle once stood – however, someone survived, standing within the ruins of the former citadel.

Mechikabura gave Cooler a grim smile. "I have heard about the Golden power of the Frost Demons and it is quite amazing to finally witness it…unfortunately, I'm not impressed by it."

"Perhaps another dose of my immense power will be enough to silence you, old man!" Cooler bellowed, powering up another Golden Supernova. The Demon Emperor slowly raised his frail hand – and fired an energy wave that annihilated the forming Supernova, leaving Cooler agape with immense bewilderment. "But how?! Such power! What are you?"

"You are of no concern to me, so I have no need to divulge to you who I am," the Demon Emperor stated and he pointed a crooked finger at Eikyu. "That child belongs to me. You've witnessed my power already…hand her over and I may spare your life."

"Bah, you are nothing to me!" Cooler barked. "Open fire on the old fool."

His ships unloaded their cannons at Mechikabura, their concentrated fire creating a tower of flames – an energy blast shot from the inferno and ripped a ship to shreds. A second ship went down and Cooler raised his hand, cancelling the attack. The smoke cleared and Mechikabura coughed, using his cane as a support. The Golden Supernova and subsequent destruction of the castle had damaged him more than he thought – all the more reason he needed the Dragonballs.

"You say the child belongs to you, correct?" Cooler questioned and at Mechikabura's nod, he created a tiny drop of ki on his finger and pointed it at Eikyu. "What happens if I kill it?"

"Then you will suffer my wrath."

"A meaningless threat. If you want the child back, then I demand the complete surrender of all Demons; I'm sure that is a sufficient exchange – you have two hours."

"Boy, by the end of those two hours, you will wish you handed the child back when I first asked," Mechikabura said and he gave a mocking bow. "But very well, I will acquiesce to your request; the child is of great importance to me."

"I'm glad we understand each other," Cooler said and he returned to his ship, dropping out of his Golden Form. He descended further, reverting to his Fourth Form and he gave the command to retreat. Mechikabura smirked as the fleet left the devastated area.

"Yes, enjoy the last two hours of your life, boy; that child is mine, one way or another."

He extended his dark magic beneath the rubble of the castle, digging up the unconscious base form Towa, cocooned in a magical bubble. He dug deeper and retrieved the body of Gravy – the lightning sorcerer hadn't taken on his Demon God form during the assault and therefore perished within the Golden Supernova – Mechikabura sighed as he placed his palm on the corpse's chest and flooded it with dark magic. He felt his power drain with the immense magic, but Gravy soon woke up, surprised at his return to life – Mechikabura collapsed in exhaustion, breathing raggedly. Beside him, Towa groaned as she stirred and eventually woke up – she bolted upright and suppressed the urge to cry at the loss of her daughter – she caught sight of her weakened grandfather and instantly rushed to his side, despite the nausea that attempted to overwhelm her.

"My Lord, please wake up," she cried, Gravy standing nearby, unsure of what to do. "Cooler has taken Eikyu!"

"Yes…I know," the Demon Emperor groaned, drool running down his chin. "I…need…her…I need…the Dragonballs…Towa…help me."

She nodded and with Gravy's help, gently lifted Mechikabura up. She knew she had to get her daughter back, but Cooler was too powerful for her, perhaps even too powerful for everyone else – where the hell were they? – but someone else sprung to mind on who could help.

" _The question is…would he?"_ Towa pondered. _"I have no other choice."_


	19. Roses of Gold

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, faves and follows; greatly appreciated.

* * *

The Tuffle Imperial City was in peril; smoke columns reached to the sky as raging flames swept throughout the city, its streets littered with bodies. The resistance of the Tuffle Army crumbled under the sheer power of the Demons and Broly, the latter who was a one-man wrecking ball – he hurled Powered Shells like there was no tomorrow, devastating the city as commanded. Putine stayed at his back, keeping watch as she wrought her own destruction on the Tuffles – none had been able to stand up to her, easily succumbing to her magic and after so long of stalemated battles, it felt exhilarating to finally have the Tuffles collapse under her power.

She sensed an incoming attack and vanished from Oren's Lightning Shower Rain – he chased her with the Bunkai Teleport, but she countered with a wall of magical ice that he slammed into. Oren snarled and shattered the wall with his Dimension Sword – he slashed at Putine, but she danced around his swings, teasing him with a smirk – Oren snarled in frustration and unleashed the Hell Gate – Putine created another wall of ice to block the energy wave – Broly slammed into Oren.

"The Dragonball, Broly," Putine called out. "Get the Dragonball!"

Oren snarled and swiped his sword; Broly drilled him in the jaw with a mighty punch and grasped the Dragonball – Oren raised his sword – Putine froze his arm and Broly ripped the Six-Star from Oren's chest, reducing his power. Oren did a Bunkai Teleport out of the Saiyan's grip – Putine was ready for him and swatted him with her staff and Oren smashed into the ground. She weaved her magic, launching a series of deadly icicles that pinned Oren to the ruined road – desperate, Oren escaped from Janemba's body, just as she fired a final, large icicle that impaled Janemba in the face. The Tuffle barely had time to celebrate his narrow escape from death – Broly grabbed him by the face and held him high, a Powered Shell in his other hand.

"Finish him, Broly," Putine commanded and Oren screamed as he was engulfed by the energy attack and his body was disintegrated. Broly dropped the shredded remains of the Tuffle and turned to Putine. "Well done, Broly."

A ki blast slammed into the Broly – unharmed, he responded with an energy wave of his own that decimated the small force of Tuffle soldiers; Putine gave him an appreciative smile, ignoring the fact that he fought only on her command and not because he wanted to – that way, she could pretend they made a good team.

"Come; let's find the other Dragonball…should be easy for the likes of us."

-X-

His heart was wrought by anguish and fury as his beloved city burned to ashes before his very eyes; with a snarl of defiance, Baby launched into the air, tapping into the power of the Dragonball. His home, his city, his empire was under attack and he would not stand for this; he had worked too hard to establish his empire to let it burn to ruins because of uppity Demons. He shot through the air, intent on defending his home – a ki blast to his flank sent him flying through the flaming ruins of his peoples' homes. Baby growled as he burst out of the crumbling wreckage to confront his attacker – Demigra, flanked by Shroom and Salsa, grinned at him.

"I'll kill you!" Baby snarled.

"I doubt that; given how easily your city has yielded to us, I'd say you would be no different," Demigra said. "Now, you can hand us the Dragonball and you might live, or we'll take it from your corpse. Please keep in mind that you are outmatched by three Demon Gods."

"I'm not scared of you!" the Tuffle-Saiyan cried defiantly, charging his ki into his palms. "Final-"

Demigra had appeared behind him and walloped him in the head with his staff – disorientated, Baby was vulnerable to the Energy Jet that drilled him into the inferno; he barely had time to recover before Shroom joined the fray, his huge scythe cleaving the air. Baby retched in agony, blood spilling down his chin – Shroom's scythe had impaled him through the abdomen and the Death God grinned wickedly as he seized the Two-Star Dragonball and tore it from Baby's chest. The power faded from the Tuffleized Saiyan and he choked on his own blood; Shroom removed the scythe and Baby collapsed in the pool bleeding from his body.

"Not so tough anymore, are we, Baby Vegeta?" Demigra mused contemptuously. "After all the trouble you've given us, it's disappointing that this is how it ends…then again, you are a mere parasite, a worthless bug compared to the Demon Gods. Enjoy the last remnants of your life as your world burns to ashes around you and eventually consumes you."

He began to leave and Shroom followed; Salsa hurled an energy blast at the cataleptic Baby, intent on tying up loose ends. The explosion that followed was simply one of many that littered the Imperial City and reduced the capital of the Tuffle Empire to nothing more than cinders.

-X-

"WILL SOMEONE SHUT THIS INFERNO BABY UP?" Cooler roared over the incessant crying of Eikyu.

Ever since he'd left the Demon Castle in ruins, the baby had wailed non-stop and nothing could be done to end her tears; it was slowly driving Cooler to the brink of madness and he severely contemplated his decision to kill her – after all, if the Demons did surrender, he didn't need the child afterwards and it wasn't like they would know she was dead until it was too late.

"We've tried everything, my lord!" the lieutenant cried desperately, virtually at his own limits like his emperor. "I don't know what else we could try!"

"Oh, I know of a way," Cooler replied and he aimed his finger at Eikyu.

Just as the Death Beam formed, his ship was rocked by a massive force tearing through it, throwing everyone off their feet. The result of the catastrophic damage ripped the ship apart – Cooler seized Eikyu and escaped from the wreckage of his ship, stopping in the middle of a wasteland – if someone had dared to attack him, it was best he had some form of leverage available. Spheres of black energy zipped across the sky, demolishing every other ship they came in contact with – Cooler couldn't see the origin, but he was pissed off regardless – whoever dared attack him and destroy his fleet would suffer his wrath – someone was behind him and he whirled around.

"Goku?"

"Give me the baby," Black stared him down.

He'd been quite content intricately plotting the deaths of the Demon Gods when Towa come before him with a request: Eikyu had been stolen from her and since the Castle had been destroyed in the raid, could he help retrieve their daughter? At first, Black wasn't interested, still put out by Towa's actions, but the anger of his offspring being kidnapped by a mortal overtook him – someone dared to steal from a god – so he immediately set out to reclaim what belonged to him.

"This is quite the surprise. I wasn't expecting you, Goku."

"I don't care for idle chitchat; I won't ask again. Give me the baby."

"Is this brat yours?" Cooler inquired, trying to see the resemblance between Black and Eikyu. "If it is, I don't see it."

"Truth be told, I don't care if you kill the brat," Black said with a careless shrug. "That said, the child is indeed of my blood, and I prefer to do the honours myself."

"It's strange that you would willingly procreate with a disgusting Demon like Towa, but then again, you are Saiyan filth, so I shouldn't be too shocked."

"You jest, but I am no mere Saiyan, as I will happily show you for daring to steal from me."

"Oh yes, the child…very well, here, catch!"

He callously hurled Eikyu into the air, Black reached out to catch her – Cooler fired his Darkness Eye Beam at the baby. When the smoke cleared, Black was holding Eikyu safely in his arms, having taken the full brunt of the attack. He looked down at his daughter, but she smiled at him, as if getting tossed and fired at was a game. He glared at her with disgust, but she was oblivious and he wondered why he saved her, despite his desire to see her perish…then again, she was of his blood, mixed and dirty as it may be, and he couldn't let anyone take his kill from him. It was his right, after all, that he should be the one to end her life after bringing her into the world.

And yet, despite the opportunity right here in his arms, Black couldn't bring himself to extinguish the life of his daughter.

"How touching," Cooler sneered. "Perhaps father and daughter would like to spend some time together…in the afterlife!"

He launched a Death Beam, Black deflected it, and the Icejin closed the gap with a barrage of blows. Black blocked the strikes with one arm, the other holding Eikyu out of range of Cooler's fists; Cooler noted the defensive stance and smirked, his tail whipping towards the baby. Black caught it, hurled the Icejin away and shot a Power Ball. Cooler caught the blast with his chest and tumbled through the air, but managed to land on his feet and he smirked in delight. If he could keep up his assault while Black was unable to retaliate, then he had a chance at defeating his opponent.

"It's so nice to see a father protect his offspring with such fierceness," Cooler said as he adopted his brother's signature stance. "But that same protectiveness leaves you weak, Goku, and such weakness will only lead to your death."

"Adorable that you think you can beat me," Black sneered. "You may have me at a slight disadvantage, but you are still no match for me…and I'm not even trying."

"Oh, I am just getting warmed up. Allow me to demonstrate," the Icejin growled as he powered up, his body doubling in size as it underwent a transformation. His shoulders expanded, spikes grew from his wrists and skull, his eyes became full red and a bone mask slid over his lower face. "It's time to eradicate the Saiyan filth!"

He moved with devastating speed and Black only had time to shift Eikyu out of the way when he struck with a powerful punch. Hurled through the air, Black continued to move his daughter around to protect her from any harm, as Cooler gave chase and proceeded to display his dominance. He hammered blows against Black's back and belted him away with his tail. Black twisted his body again so he took the impact of slamming into the side of a hill, ensuring that his daughter was unharmed. Throughout the ordeal, she simply squealed and it irritated him that she was enjoying this, but he refused to let her get hurt, call it father's instinct or whatever – Cooler came barrelling at him and kicked him through the hill.

Black landed on his feet, sliding across the rocky ground and he flared his dark aura as Cooler fell upon him, the power forcing the Icejin back. Eikyu babbled incoherently as she nuzzled against her father's chest at the warm feel of his dark aura surrounding her and a strange, unexplainable feeling bloomed in Black's chest at the contact – repulsed, he held Eikyu away from his body, just as Towa appeared beside him via one of her damned wormholes.

"Take the child," Black growled as he shoved Eikyu towards her. "She is a distraction."

"Aw, were the two of you bonding?" Towa teased as she took their daughter; the baby cooed, content to be back in her mother's arms.

"Don't make me regret not killing you both here and now," he threatened.

She smirked at him. "Oh, Goku Black is getting soft."

"You're supposed to be dead!" Cooler shouted at Towa, incensed by her survival.

"Next time, do a better job," Towa shot at him. "Your attempt at killing me was quite weak; I barely felt it."

"Leave now," Black growled at the witch. "You are both bothering me."

"When the two of you are done, I would like to resume our fight," Cooler called out to them.

Because she enjoyed tormenting him, Towa leaned up and pressed a kiss to Black's cheek. His face went from angry to shock in an instant and before he could react, she stepped back through her wormhole, her delighted laugh echoing in her retreat.

" _Filthy harlot!"_ Black mentally growled as he rubbed his cheek, trying to erase her touch.

"That was touching," Cooler commented contemptuously. "It made my heart burst with the beautiful display of love."

"Shut up!" the Saiyan-Kai snarled. "I will show you a display of violence and death."

The two flew at each other and their fists clashed, the ground splintering beneath them from the impact. Black noticed that Cooler's strength had increased from the last time they fought and realised they were on the same level – they broke away and traded blows faster than the superhuman eye could see, the ground quaking due to the ferocity of their fists. The sky was alive with the echoes of their battle, shockwaves tearing through the clouds as they surged through the air, keeping pace and skill with one another.

Black fired off a roundhouse kick that was neatly blocked by Cooler's forearm. The Icejin shot a ki blast in response, but it was swiftly knocked aside, as Black lunged with the Aura Slide. Cooler stopped the attack with a blow to Black's stomach…or at least, he thought he stopped the attack…his cheek stung and Black smirked.

"Careful…I think you're bleeding," the Saiyan-Kai taunted, trying to hide that he'd been winded.

"That is definitely a new trick," Cooler admitted. "I wasn't expecting such a move from you, Goku. It appears you fight to kill…such an interesting change in character."

"Probably because I'm not Goku…I'm just wearing his body…well, I've made it my own, but still…I am Goku Black."

"Regardless, you are still Saiyan filth and I have sworn to eradicate every last trace of your kind…once I am done with you, your demon spawn is next."

"You really think you can stand up to a god?" Black questioned. "You see, I'm not showing you my full power, but I'm willing to give you a swift display before your impending demise."

"Oh yes, show me your Super Saiyan power…I am keen to test my strength against that irritating golden form."

Black chuckled. "Super Saiyan? Such a transformation is pointless and only highlights the barbaric nature of the Saiyans. No, this form I will show you is a state worthy of only the gods. A mortal such as yourself doesn't deserve to witness this, but since you want a quick death, feast your eyes upon the power of Super Saiyan Rosé." He shouted as he transformed, his aura blazing around him as he gave Cooler his signature sign with a cocky smirk.

"Pink?" Cooler exclaimed in surprise. "I will admit I was not expecting that. Such a colour looks ridiculous on you, Goku, and yet…I cannot sense your power."

"Yes, you are starting to realise just how outclassed you truly are," Black grinned. "You tremble in the light of a deity for you know that you cannot hope to stand on the same pedestal as I."

"And here I was thinking Frieza was the one with the bloated self-importance. Very well. Let's see how well your pink Super Saiyan form stands up to my Golden Ascension."

Black frowned. "What?"

Cooler shouted as he exerted his power, golden flames of energy washing over his body, bathing his skin and armour with gold, while leaving only his hands, feet and the sides of his bone mask his normal purple colouring. Black's jaw dropped in shock at the massive eruption of power…and there was not a single trace of god ki anywhere in Cooler's power.

Why the hell were all these mortals gaining power on par with the gods? _How?_

"Yes, I know, my brother did it first, but I thought to myself that if he could do it, then so can I," Cooler said. "Now, perhaps it is your time that's at its end."

Black growled and attacked with the Divine Retribution. Cooler vanished and fired a Death Beam. It was deflected by the Rosé-blade and Black flew forth and slashed wide – Cooler vanished again and struck Black in the jaw with his fist. Surprised by the speed, Black did a vanish retreat and fired a Rosé Power Ball. Cooler swatted the blast aside and caught a kick to the face as a result. He blustered at the cheap tactic and sank his fist into Black's gut.

Black slashed at his head, missed, and got whipped by his tail. The blow knocked him into the air and Cooler pursued, utilising his vast strength to wallop Black – the Saiyan-Kai growled in annoyance as he defended against the blows and he managed to land a kick in Cooler's sternum while the latter was too preoccupied with his offensive. Black whipped Cooler with the Rosé-blade and immediately went for the Divine Lasso, firing off several needles of pink energy – Cooler darted around each javelin and fired a single gold energy beam from his index finger – it struck Black in the chest and Cooler continued with the Emperor's Death Beam, unleashing a barrage of beams. Black vanished between the beams and Cooler snarled as he chased the Saiyan-Kai, trying to overwhelm him with the blitzing.

"Just die, damn you!" Cooler raged; Black disappeared and he felt a presence behind him. "Oh no."

Black smirked as he blasted Cooler in the back at point-blank range and the Icejin howled as he was hurled across the sky. He righted himself and Black fell upon him with the Rosé-blade and the pair disappeared – Black kneed Cooler in the gut – Cooler punched Black in the face – Black slashed Cooler's armour – Cooler chopped Black on the neck – Cooler blocked Black's fist with his shin casually – Black axe-handle struck Cooler on the back of his head – Cooler wrapped his tail around Black's throat and Black bit him in response.

"Insolent pest!" Cooler snarled, the bite mark on his tail throbbing with surprising pain. "Such actions are beneath a warrior!"

"Like I care?" Black smirked darkly. "Not a bad taste…perhaps I should hold you over an open fire and really get that meat cooking; see what kind of meal you'd make!"

A pause…and then, "WHAT THE FUCK, GOKU?!" Cooler screamed incredulously. "I may be a brutal warlord, but even I don't think about eating my opponents. That's just barbar-"

He huffed when Black's fist slammed into his gut. "I meant metaphorically, of course," Black grinned and he struck Cooler with a pirouetting double kick.

Cooler tumbled briefly, but recovered swiftly and continued the battle with Crazy Finger Shot. Black swatted the beams aside with the Rosé-blade, using the Divine Lasso technique as he did, but Cooler vanished from the needles and kicked Black in the face. There was a blinding flash of light, Black snarled, and pain exploded in his ribs as he was sent hurtling through the air.

" _Damn it, even in my Rosé form, he just edges me out in terms of power,"_ Black grumbled as he struggled to regain his sight. When it returned, he saw a golden fist and his head swam from the powerful impact. _"I need to correct this little problem. Can I do it, however?"_

They clashed once more, hurling punches and kicks at each other with ferocity. Black seized a split-second opportunity and struck Cooler in the chest with the one-inch punch – the Icejin wheezed from the explosion of power in that tiny manoeuvre and he fired the Darkness Eye Beam. Black weaved around the beams and flew at his opponent, licking his lips in the process. The implication threw Cooler off and Black struck him in the jaw. He seized the advantage, raining blows against his foe's body – Cooler smashed Black in the face with a vicious head-butt that had the Saiyan-Kai reeling, white stars bursting before his eyes. Cooler then punched Black and several mountains exploded from the latter's body passing through them due to the former's impressive strength.

Cooler fired a Death Beam at the rubble; it erupted in a geyser of dust and rock – Black kicked Cooler in the head. Stunned by the sneak attack, Cooler retaliated with a ki wave, but Black vanished in a series of Afterimages that raced about, taunting the Icejin. He growled and fired a random Death Beam – striking the real Black in the chest.

" _Damn him!"_ Black thought as he ignored the pain to fire two pink energy waves to ward Cooler off; the Icejin dodged them both and shot at Black, fist raised. At the last moment, Black vanished and managed to hit Cooler with the Divine Retribution.

Cooler sliced his hand through the air – Black narrowly avoided the Emperor's Edge and found his opponent's open hand in his face – Cooler launched the Arc Blast and Black snatched the ki blast, hurling it aside – Cooler drilled him in the gut with a powerful punch, Black gagged, and he was launched towards the ground – Black flipped over and landed on his feet. He knew he had to gain the upper hand somehow – a memory came to him and sparked inspiration. Concentrating, Black lowered his energy and dropped into his Super Saiyan God form – Cooler sneered and dived.

At the last possible moment, Black turned into Super Saiyan Rosé – with the sudden burst of power, he slammed a fist into Cooler's ribcage, making the Icejin's eyes bulge. Resuming the God form, Black glided back; Cooler lunged and lashed out with his fist – Black transformed and smashed a punch into Cooler's jaw. Stunned by the blow, the Icejin got kicked into the sky – Black dropped down again and gave chase. Cooler recovered quickly and fired a Death Beam – Black transformed, deflected the shot, and powered down – Cooler dropped with a kick. Once more, the body-snatcher ascended to Rosé, caught Cooler by the leg, and hurled the Icejin with such force that a mountain of rock exploded from the impact.

Enraged, Cooler flared his fiery golden aura as he burst up from the rubble and threw a punch at the incoming God Black – he dodged, switched to Rosé, hammered Cooler with a hook and dropped back. For every punch Cooler threw, Black would evade as a God and then use Rosé to deliver punishing blows, slowly overwhelming the Frost Demon – with the tide of the battle slipping from his fingers, Cooler grew incensed by the second, while Black smirked at the dominance he held over the Icejin. After one hit too many, Cooler finally had enough and blasted into the sky, his hand raised and began charging the Golden Supernova, swiftly gathering energy to form the gigantic sphere.

"This is it, Goku Black!" Cooler called. "This is your end! When this world is ashes, you have my permission to die!"

"I take orders from no-one," he coolly responded, having resumed the God form, and he charged the Super Black Kamehameha. "Only a fool like you could delude themselves into thinking they can best a god."

Cooler hurled the Golden Supernova at the same time Black unleashed his beam and the two energies collided, battling to overcome the other. Cooler utilised every inch of his Golden power and slowly, but surely, his Supernova crept towards Black. Feeling the Supernova pushing through his Kamehameha, Black shouted as he powered up into his Rosé form – the surge of power was channelled through his energy beam and shoved the Golden Supernova back at its creator.

Cooler's eyes expanded in horror as the two energy attacks slammed into him and propelled him through the atmosphere and into outer space. A sense of déjà vu overcame him as he hurtled through the cosmos and sure enough, he was headed for the sun.

" _No, not again!"_ Cooler mentally whined as he was deposited into the depths of the raging star, the inferno tearing his body apart under the combination of the Supernova and Kamehameha. _"I will re-"_

-X-

The portal opened and Towa exited into the temporary base; after she'd recovered from Cooler's attack and alerted Black on Eikyu's kidnapping, securing her ailing grandfather's safety had been her top priority. Thankfully, she had back-up bases in case of an emergency such as this one, but it still greatly upset her to have lost the Castle – that'd been her home for years, her solitude, and now it was gone…at least, not permanently; she could always rebuild, but that was a hassle.

But the most important thing was that she had Eikyu back, safe and sound, and she had Black to thank…Towa wondered how he was faring against Cooler; in the end, she didn't think it was quite important, as long as she had her daughter back.

Returning to the hub of the temporary base, Towa was surprised by the return of the others…and she caught the look on Demigra's face.

"What happened, Towa?" he demanded, barely holding back his anger. "We leave on a mission to retrieve the Dragonballs and when we returned home, successful mind you, the Castle had been demolished. How could you be so damn careless?"

"Oh, so you managed to get the Dragonballs from Black then?" Towa retorted, refusing to submit to his ire. "Given that I saw him fighting the one who destroyed our home, I'd say no."

"He is next; the Tuffles, on the other hand, have been obliterated. You're welcome," the Demon Wizard said snidely.

"Enough arguing," Mechikabura weakly growled and the two Demons immediately turned their attention to him. "Our home is gone, Black is still out there, and I need the Dragonballs. You are Demon Gods and two weak Saiyans-"

"Hey!" Xicor snarled, enraged by the insult, but he was ignored by the Demon Emperor.

"If we are to succeed, we need to stop arguing with ourselves and focus on our enemy instead. Towa, come here."

The Time Witch approached her grandfather and he raised his hands – bolts of demonic magic leapt from his palms and struck Eikyu. The baby cried as she was lifted from her mother's arms, consumed by the dark energy that engulfed her from sight – Towa watched in confliction, uncertain of her grandfather's intentions, especially as Eikyu continued to cry. The sphere expended as Mechikabura utilised every last bit of his magic reserves – his energy eventually fizzled out, but he was successful – the magic receded to reveal Eikyu, but instead of a baby, she was now a young woman and she was curled up in a ball to cover her nudity – Towa immediately summoned a veil to shield her daughter, checking on her as she tucked the veil around the young Demon's body.

"Hi, Mother," Eikyu greeted with a weak smile.

"I…am…spent," Mechikabura choked gravely. "We…need…the Dragon…balls. Train…her, Towa…make her…strong…she is…our chance."

"As you command," Towa acquiesced, still in shock from the forced growth of her daughter.


	20. Clash of Saiyans

A/N: Thank you again for the reviews :)

* * *

He came to with a ragged groan, blades of agony slicing through his body – it nearly made him want to curl up and give in to the pain, but he resisted the urge; that was not how he operated and he used the pain as motivation to give back just as much as he'd received. Even with his body in great pain and his mind fuzzy, Baby Vegeta began plotting the deaths of the Demons…although he had to wonder how in the universe he survived.

"Ah, you're awake."

She came into view and in his hazy state, Baby nearly blasted the Demon; he held back upon noticing her facial markings. "Kamin? You're alive. Oh, thank goodness the Demons didn't take everything from me."

"Unlike Oren, I saw the futility of our defence; it would be better to retreat and counter than face the Demons head-on and die," Kamin said. "I know that makes me appear weak-"

"I appreciate it," Baby said. "If you hadn't, the Tuffles would've perished for good. With the two of us, our race has a chance of surviving and if we can exact our vengeance on the Demons, then the universe is as good as ours. They forget that I inhabit the body of the Saiyan – already, I feel stronger."

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but without the Dragonballs, it won't be enough. The Demons were too strong for us and now we're the only two Tuffles left."

Baby growled at the implication of his weakness, but he killed the urge to blast her for the slight; she did have a point and he pondered for a moment. "Perhaps…I hate to say this…but maybe the enemy of my enemy…is my friend?"

Kamin gave him a conflicted look. "Are you sure about that? Black would kill us sooner than he would the Demons. What would he gain from allying with us? What would we gain from him?"

"Let's look at it this way, Kamin; if we ally with Black and get the opportunity to put him under our control, it gives us a chance to either defeat the Demons or control them? Nonetheless, I want revenge and Black might be our best shot at it."

She didn't look convinced. "I'll follow you, as always, but we should proceed with caution; we cannot trust Black."

"I know, but for now, we have no other choice."

-X-

An entire year of training had passed and even after all that time, Towa still found it strange that she suddenly had a teenage daughter; naturally, she'd hoped to raise her child, not have her forcibly aged in an instant. As it turned out, Eikyu had not only been aged physically, but also mentally – Towa pondered the depths of Mechikabura's power if he was capable of developing Eikyu as such. Her personality and behaviour were somewhat what the Time Witch expected her daughter to possess if she grew up naturally and not a result of Mechikabura's influence. For some people, however, they probably wished Eikyu's personality had been moulded by the Dark Emperor.

"For the last time, Eikyu, stop being a damn brat!" Demigra said, his restrained anger seeping into his tone. They'd been training all morning, like normal, but Eikyu began showing signs of boredom and disobedience…also normal. "You are meant to show respect to your elders!"

The young adult batted her eyelashes with fake innocence. "But you're not my father."

It was always fascinating to Towa at just how much Eikyu looked like her; it was virtually like staring in the mirror. There was hardly a trace of Black anywhere in her features; Eikyu even had the same hairstyle as Towa, albeit with a shorter right bang, and she had the same violet eyes. Her skin tone was probably a touch lighter than Towa's, but otherwise, Eikyu could easily pass as her mother's copy.

"Your father doesn't give a damn about you, young lady; he is a disgrace to his own kind, let alone a disgusting Saiyan. Unfortunately, his blood runs in your veins, which makes you an abomination."

"Huh…big talk from an old man who got his ass beat by the Supreme Kai of Time before she even assumed that position."

If there was anything Eikyu inherited from her father, it was definitely his attitude.

"TOWA!" Demigra roared with unbridled frustration. "Control your brat!"

Now this was amusing; Towa directed a fake stern look towards her daughter. "Eikyu."

"Yes, Mom?"

"Be nice to Demigra. He has not had an easy life…seventy-five million years of humiliation will do that to a person."

Eikyu's smirk was uncannily similar to her father's. "I'll keep it in mind."

"The insubordination is unbelievable," Demigra bemoaned and he motioned to the young adult. "This is our future? The sheer audacity of her cheek makes her unfit for the throne unless we beat it out of her."

"We are not beating my daughter," Towa firmly told him.

"Hey, Demigra," Eikyu grinned. "Does it hurt to know that an abomination like me has a greater claim to the throne than you?"

"Eikyu," the Time Witch cautioned before Demigra could respond. "That's enough."

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Since the start of her training, she wore an amethyst gi and skirt with a black undershirt and tights; a maroon belt adorned her waist and she also wore ninja-inspired amethyst armguards and boots. The hybrid showed vast promise in the past year, growing in leaps and bounds as Demigra, Towa, and Dabura battled her to see her power, her dual bloodlines granting her immense strength. Eikyu was a quick learner, adapting to the harshness of battle and she seemed to delight in it, a trait clearly inherited from her Saiyan genes – that said, she was not adept at magic, preferring to use ki instead; irrespective, she proved she was a force to be reckoned with, easily tapping into her innate powers.

That said, despite her strength and capabilities, Towa still didn't think her daughter could defeat Black; she also didn't want the two to fight, mostly out of concern for her child – if Black knew his daughter was now an adult and capable of fighting…Towa shuddered at the thought.

"Yes, I have to agree, that's enough," Demigra stated. "We've been here for a whole year and I believe we've made some good progress with Eikyu…that said, there is only one way to truly test her progress."

"You want me to kill my dad because you guys suck," Eikyu specified matter-of-factly.

"Child…" the Demon Wizard warned, just as Dabura joined them.

"Uncle Dabura!" the hybrid cried out cheerfully, embracing him as the Demon King smiled at her warmly. "Demigra is being mean."

"Worry not about him, Princess," Dabura said. "He's always been highly-strung and doesn't know how to cope."

"That's it!" Demigra declared. "I've had enough of the disrespect! We are returning home and young Eikyu can go out and meet her father, maybe even perish in the process; I don't care anymore."

His staff glowed and a portal appeared; with an exasperated sigh, Eikyu flew through the portal, followed by the rest, and they returned to their correct time, appearing at the moment they'd left – Mechikabura exhaled the breath he gasped in when they first travelled to the past for the training session. The Demon Emperor peered at Eikyu, noticing her increase in power, and a smile came to his face.

"Excellent," he grinned, struggling to breathe from the magical exhaustion that bore heavily on his frail body. "You've…made…progress…I'm pleased."

"So, you're the Demon Emperor?" Eikyu inquired. "You don't look so tough to me."

"Wow," Demigra murmured. "The utter disrespect."

"Eikyu, trash-talk Demigra all you want, but do not disrespect your ancestor," Towa told her.

"It's fine, Towa," Mechikabura wheezed. "She is…young…they have no idea…of the world they inhabit…or the power…that makes things transpire."

The hybrid shrugged carelessly. "It doesn't matter to me; just point me in the direction of my father."

"Yes, your father…we have other plans…for him…you're meant for greater purposes."

She rolled her eyes. "All this talk is boring me."

The Demon Emperor smiled. "Soon…young one…you will understand."

"Come with me, Eikyu," Towa ordered and she left her grandfather, her daughter trailing behind her. They travelled through the sanctuary towards the laboratory; Putine resided there with Broly, simply keeping him company, and there was not a sign of Mira anywhere – Towa ignored the hurt in her heart and moved on, joining Shroom and Salsa at the wall-sized computer. "What's the report?"

"Wow, that was quick," Shroom commented, and he spotted Eikyu. "Ah, how's Towa Junior?"

"Itching for a fight…you offering…whoever you are?" Eikyu replied.

"Ooh, she's feisty…could either be fun or a nuisance."

"I'm sorry, are you important?"

"Eikyu, stop antagonising everyone," Towa demanded and her daughter pouted in response; she turned to Shroom. "So, the report?"

"Xicor's chasing down the last of Cooler's ships, Mira's buggered off to who knows where, and as for Black…we has his location."

Towa's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? How? Where is he?"

"He's not keeping a low profile; basically blasting his energy out there like he's inviting us," Shroom responded. "He's up north at the ice caps…bloody insane to reside there if you ask me."

"It has to be a trap," Towa commented, staring at the map of Black's location. "He wouldn't go to a place like the Arctic and signal his power like that; it's not his style."

"Well, with all due respect, you would know better than us."

If looks could kill, Shroom would be dead; Towa's voice was frosty. "That is none of your business, Shroom, and Death God or not, I will kill you if you dare speak about it again."

"My apologies, ma'am," Shroom responded, although there was a lack of sincerity in his tone; Towa ignored it.

"He's inviting us to him…our best chance is to hit him with our full strength; don't give him a chance to fight back," the Time Witch explained. "We take everyone or we risk failure."

"Sounds ideal. I owe him for his little greeting in Hell," the Death God agreed and he peered past her shoulder. "Hey, Towa…where's your kid?"

She whirled around; sure enough, Eikyu was gone. Towa spread her senses, seeking out her daughter's energy – she detected the hybrid and realised where she was heading.

"Damn it, Eikyu, no," Towa murmured. "We need to leave – now!" she barked at the two Gods.

-X-

The ice wind howled, the frost biting his skin; lost in his mediative retreat, Black disregarded the cold in order for his body to adapt to the frigid temperatures – if he would withstand the arctic weather, then it gave him an advantage over the Demons for when they finally sought them out. He wasn't going to chase them; he was going to make them come to him. He had three Dragonballs and if they wanted them so badly, they would have no choice but to seek him out and one by one, they would fall…except for Towa. Black figured that he could give her one more chance and if she still refused, well, then he would have no reason to keep her alive. He kept his senses alive for the first hint of anyone approaching – he caught wind of two incoming energy signatures and Black slowly opened his eyes, confused as he recognised them – why were they coming for him?

With a huff of exasperation, Black broke the pose and stood up, stretching out his limbs; around him, the wind continue to howl, gushing off from the ice shelves and frozen mountains that surrounded him…he needed some kind of retreat after his fight with Cooler and chose the Arctic as the elements made it fitting for his planned showdown with the Demons. He looked to the sky and sure enough, there was Baby Vegeta, slowly descending with the cautious Kamin by his side.

"Well, well, look at what the cat dragged in," Black greeted. "To what do I owe this pleasure, _Tuffle_?"

"I offer an alliance," Baby said, keeping his distance from his rival. "The Demons slaughtered my people and destroyed everything I've worked hard to create; it causes me agonising pain to admit this, but I need your help to strike back against them."

Black stared at him and burst into laughter; Baby growled, but kept his cool and patiently waited until Black finally stopped. "A mortal comes to a god, begging for help; it's hilarious and somewhat poetic. What benefit do I get out of this 'alliance'? How do I know you won't stab me in the back at the first chance you get? After all, you are a mortal and a filthy parasite at that."

"I knew this was a bad idea," Kamin commented. "We should leave while we still-"

"Silence," Baby snapped at her. "Goku, surely we can-"

"No, I'm not interested," Black cut him off. "I have the power I need to defeat them and I can do that on my own; I don't need you. In fact, you should consider it merciful that I'll let you leave to live out another day…once the Demons are dead, you're next, Baby."

"Very well…I hope the Demons tear you apart," Baby responded with a sneer; he frowned, something catching his attention. "Someone's coming…I've never felt this energy before."

Black zeroed in on the energy rapidly approaching – it felt familiar, but he couldn't figure out how – a young woman appeared them; she had the appearance of a Demon and Black frowned, trying to understand why she basically looked like a younger version of Towa. She paid no attention to the Tuffles, her focus solely on him – there was a feeling of tension in the air and Black hated that he felt flummoxed right now, especially in regards to this young woman.

"A stranger appears to me," Black greeted. "Who are you?"

"My name is Eikyu…not that it matters to you."

" _Eikyu? But that's the same name as my…daughter,"_ the Saiyan-Kai thought and then realization dawned on him. "What kind of dark magic is this? Did your mother pull you through time or-"

"Mechikabura advanced me and Mom trained me; now, I'm ready to kill you, Father."

"Okay, this escalated quickly," Baby murmured to himself. "My mind has just been blown: Goku has a kid with Towa? What fucked-up world have I entered?"

"Kill me?" Black sneered. "For what reason? What rubbish has your mother been filling your head with?"

"For starters, what kind of man abandons his child?"

"The kind that is ashamed for bringing an abomination into the world."

Eikyu's upper lip curled in fury and it reminded Black of himself; the resemblance was undeniable. He settled for a chuckle as he watched his daughter reign in her anger and fought for composure.

"The powerful Goku Black who believes in his mission to purge all sinful mortals from the universe," she sneered. "And yet, he sinned just like a mortal himself, resulting in me. Ironic."

"Watch that tongue of yours, young lady, lest Papa gives you a spank."

Eikyu scoffed at that. "You're no father of mine."

She screamed as she powered up, her black aura melting into gold; her hair spiked up in a style not too dissimilar to Fused Zamasu while retaining her natural snow-white; the sclera of her eyes became blood red and her pupils turned feral gold. With a roar, she lunged at her father and hurled a punch – Black caught her fist within his hand. Her knee flew for his jaw – he stopped the blow. Energy coated her right hand, formed into a blade and slashed at his face – Black vanished and struck her from behind. Eikyu tumbled, but she quickly caught herself – and narrowly dodged Black's fist, which made him smirk in response.

This could be fun.

He fired off a flurry of punches, testing her power, and she deflected each strike. She attempted a counterattack, he blocked her moves, and then she opened her hand – and created an explosion of ki right beneath Black. The winds of frost dispersed the smoke, revealing a crater and nothing more.

"Impressive!" Eikyu looked up and growled to see her smirking father unharmed. "Your mother has trained you well, but there is deeper power within you; after all, my blood runs through your veins, thus making you a being of divinity."

"Yeah, and I'm going to use that to kill you!" Eikyu growled. She flew at her father – he caught her fists, still wearing that infuriating smirk she already hated and wanted to wipe off his face.

"I see Towa has filled your head with nonsense, child. Should I re-educate you? You have no quarrel with me; mere hours ago, I saved your life. I could've ended it and it would not have taken much effort, but I spared you."

"Oh, and that makes me feel so loved," the hybrid retorted. She tore her fists free from his grasp and snapped out a kick – Black darted out of the way and she chased him with a ferocious series of attacks. "You never wanted me!"

"That is true," he admitted while evading her swings. "My rage towards the mortals and gods' failures could not compare to the disgust and self-hatred I felt for my hand in your creation." He parried her fist, redirected her momentum, and threw her towards the snow. "But regardless of your Demon heritage, you are still my child…my heir; there is a place by my side should you choose."

"And let me guess: I'll die if I say no?" Eikyu sneered whilst flaring her aura. "How fatherly of you."

"EIKYU!" The hybrid froze and everyone's attention was drawn to the arrival of Towa…and she wasn't alone. Demigra, Putine, Gravy, Mira, Xicor, Dabura, Shroom, Salsa, Paragus, and Broly settled down with her atop any icy hill, the Time Witch glaring at her daughter. "How dare you run off like that! What if you had been killed? You could've jeopardised everything!"

"Don't be mad, she just wanted to meet her father," Black responded. "See if there's any truth in the lies you've been telling her."

"What? No-" Eikyu started, but now her parents' focuses were on each other.

"Were you that desperate for her to kill me that you forcibly aged her with your foul magic and corrupted her?" Black demanded.

"Yes, because you were so keen to become the hands-on father," Towa retorted with an eye-roll. "I had nothing to do with her growth, only her training, and even if she grew naturally, you still wouldn't be there for her."

"I gave you a choice to join me and I would've raised her; you were stubborn and said no."

"It's not a choice if it's made with the threat of death – not everything revolves around you!"

"It should…between the two of us, I'm a natural-born god, not some mortal pretender!"

"This is embarrassing," Eikyu mumbled, falling into her base form, but she was ignored as her parents continued their quarrel. "Mom, Dad, please stop."

"Is that Bardock's boy?" Paragus wondered to himself and he noticed Baby. "Who is that?"

"That is Baby," Putine answered. "He is a Tuffle possessing the body of Vegeta."

"Prince Vegeta?" the elderly Saiyan recoiled in surprise. "How ironic that he is possessed by the enemy; I can destroy two foes at once!"

"Enough of the bickering!" Demigra demanded; Towa and Black both glared at him. "We are not here for a spousal argument over parenting rights; Mira is getting upset." Towa's face turned foul at the low blow. "We're here for the Dragonballs, Goku Black."

"You're welcome to try and take them," Black taunted.

"In that case, it's time for you to die. Broly, prepare to attack!"

"Wait, why does he get to fight my father?" Xicor demanded, cutting across the masked Saiyan. "I want to kill him, so I should get that opportunity; I am stronger than the weakling."

"Xicor, we don't have time for this," Towa said. "Stand aside and let Broly begin; I assure you, you will get your chance at Black."

"There's no need for him – I'll prove it," the hybrid sneered and he blasted Broly. The masked Saiyan stumbled, but otherwise didn't react – he suddenly lunged and swung at Xicor, who neatly dodged the fist and leapt into the sky.

"I didn't give the order," Demigra stated and he looked at Putine. "Was that you?"

"Perhaps," the ice sorceress replied. "Xicor does need to be put in his place."

"Stop him," the Demon Wizard demanded of the two Demon Gods. "Xicor is ruining everything."

Shroom and Salsa flew towards the duelling Saiyans – a Black Power Ball zipped past the two Demons, halting them. "Don't interfere," Black warned. "Whoever this new Saiyan is, I want to see his power; if he loses to Xicor, then he was a waste of your efforts."

"This is ridiculous!" Towa snapped furiously. "We're meant to be fighting Black, not each other, but of course, Xicor only thinks of himself! I don't care what Black says, get Xicor out of the equation."

"Let them fight!" Black shouted. "Not a single one of you stand a chance against me; this fight delays your inevitable end, so I say let them fight."

"Damn you, Xicor," Towa growled irritably, but she resigned herself to watching the battle play out. If Xicor won, she'd be furious, but Broly won…well, that meant she was correct in her assumptions.

Xicor grinned savagely as he deflected Broly's offensive…this Saiyan was decently trained, but it paled, along with his power, in comparison to the hybrid's – he toyed with Broly, intent on showing the Demons why their faith on the masked Saiyan was misplaced. Only he had the right to slay his father – Xicor parried Broly's fist, elbowed him in the sternum, and slammed a kick into his mask-clad face. Broly hurtled towards the snow, but he shook the blow off and shot back at Xicor – if anything, the hybrid mused, Broly seemed to take punishment and shake it off like it was nothing…that interesting little trait could make for an exciting fight.

He spun around Broly and drove a punch into his spine – Broly whirled and launched an energy blast, but Xicor batted it aside and struck him in the jaw – Broly reacted with a head-butt that caught Xicor by surprise; stunned by the unexpected strength, Xicor copped a blow to his own jaw that tossed him across the sky – Broly pursued.

"Is he your child as well?" Eikyu inquired to her father. He was sitting cross-legged on the snow, keeping an eye on the nearby Baby and Kamin. The half-Demon stood by her father, intrigued by the battle raging in the sky.

"No," Black replied. "He is the son of Goku from a parallel timeline and like you, he possesses the blood of divinity…were it not for his uppity attitude and overwhelming arrogance, he would've been the perfect partner in my mission and the heir apparent."

Shockwaves tore through the frozen winds, the impact of their blows leaving craters in the tundra; Xicor growled in annoyance as he narrowly stopped Broly's fist – was the masked Saiyan increasing his power and catching up with him? Broly hurled a green energy blast – Xicor swatted it away and unleashed a blast of his own. It drove Broly back, but then he was on Xicor again in a flash, swinging his fists. One of the blows clipped Xicor on his mouth; incensed, he lashed out – Broly trapped his arm under his own, struck Xicor with another head-butt, and threw him towards the ground. Xicor landed on his feet, rage flowing through his veins.

" _He's matching me?! Damn him!"_

Broly dived; with a shout, Xicor transformed into a Super Saiyan – and vanished. Broly spun around, trying to find his opponent – Xicor stepped on his face and drove him into the snow.

"What is that?" Paragus cried incredulously at the golden transformation.

"That is the fabled Super Saiyan form," Demigra replied and he narrowed his eyes at the elderly Saiyan. "Is your son not capable of obtaining that form?"

"The legendary Super Saiyan? But – but it was a myth…a story from my youth," the scarred Saiyan blustered and horror grew in his heart as Xicor casually backhanded Broly into the sky. "I never thought it was even possible!"

"Interesting," Black murmured. "Xicor is strong, but this Broly caught up with him in a matter of moments…this could actually be entertaining. Watch, Eikyu, you could learn something."

"How to not be a self-absorbed idiot like Xicor?" she suggested. Black gave her a look and she got the hint, turning her attention to the fight.

Broly charged – Xicor punched him in the stomach, his bored expression unchanging. He knocked Broly away with another punch to the face – the masked Saiyan charged, undeterred, and fired an energy blast. Xicor darted around the blast and slammed a blow into Broly's flank and blasted him in the chest. The hybrid chased after his tumbling prey – he parried Broly's fist, blasted him, dodged a punch, and grabbed Broly by the leg and flew him towards the ice and slammed him down. Landing, Xicor cupped his hands and fired the Revenge Kamehameha Wave.

"Broly, no!" Paragus cried out.

The Seven-Star Dragonball pulsed.

Broly avoided the devastating energy wave and flew at Xicor once more – the hybrid leapt out of the way, but Broly snatched his leg, to his surprise, and slammed him against the snow. Xicor flared his aura and blasted away from Broly's foot, then shot in and drove a punch into Broly's jaw – the glowing red eyes of his mask flashed orange and Broly returned fire, his punch to Xicor's chest blowing him across the icy tundra. Xicor used his hands to slow his flight, skidding through the snow – he sidestepped Broly's fist that had been mere inches from connecting – Broly reacted swiftly and clobbered Xicor with a vicious backhand.

" _What the fuck? I'm a Super Saiyan! How the fuck has he caught up with me again?"_ Xicor mentally demanded, finding himself on the defensive – Broly's attacks were too fast to neatly avoid like before, and this time, a Powered Shell caught Xicor and carried him away. _"This is impossible!"_

"Wow, I was worried that Xicor would kill Broly, but Broly is keeping up with him," Towa said. "Even as a Super Saiyan, Xicor is struggling…just how far can Broly's power go?"

"I…I don't know," Paragus admitted. The fight had him on edge and he feared the outcome.

Xicor threw a ki blast into the snow right in front of Broly, temporarily blinding him – taking to the sky, the hybrid focused intently as he tapped deep into his dual blood – and he let loose with an almighty scream as he powered up. The winds of frost were whipped into frenzy and the entire Arctic shook with the intensity of his energy output. Broly could only shield himself from the vicious winds, unable to force his way through the storm, while Black watched with interested glee. Glaciers cracked and shattered under the force of Xicor's energy, as he ascended to Super Saiyan 2 – and pushed himself past it, pushing himself beyond his limits, his hair slowly elongating with every surge of his power. Demigra erected a shield to protect the Demons from the mighty storm, flashes of gold blazing across the sky. Bathed in golden energy, Xicor gave one final roar as he reached the plateau.

Super Saiyan 3.

"Interesting move, but ultimately foolish," Black commented. "One way to find out."

Broly launched at Xicor and swung his fist – Xicor clocked him with a right haymaker and shot him across the sky. The masked Saiyan fired a flurry of energy blasts, but Xicor flew right through them, undeterred, and he hammered several blows against Broly's unprotected body; he struck with a kick and Broly smashed through a frozen mountain and came to a rest in a glacier. His hands twitched from the beating – Xicor appeared and with a shout, he drilled the masked Saiyan into the glacier and out the other side. He decked Broly, held out his hand, and created a sword of green energy that pierced Broly through the chest. The masked Saiyan trashed against the energy blade, but he was helpless as Xicor lifted him up and slammed him into the ice.

"No, please stop him," Paragus pleaded. "He'll…he'll kill Broly!"

"If Broly perishes, then he was a waste of our time," Demigra coldly replied. "After all, he cannot even turn Super Saiyan – I've given him the command and it's not registering."

There was an explosion of fury as Broly burst into the sky, launching Powered Shell after Powered Shell – Xicor lazily swatted them aside and annihilated the rest with a Revenge Kamehameha – Broly barely avoided the beam, but he couldn't dodge Xicor's fist and he was pummelled towards the ground once more.

His power flared.

Xicor landed with a vicious stomp – Broly managed to avoid it in time and threw a Powered Shell – Xicor caught it and used his superior power to cancel the blast – Broly scored a punch. Caught by surprise, Xicor copped an energy blast to the torso – he quickly shoved it off and recovered to snatch Broly's fist – he powered a punch into Broly's stomach, winding him; he fired a ki blast at point-blank. Broly surged through the winds of ice, but managed to unleash an energy wave from his palm. Xicor narrowly dodged and cursed at the close call – Broly slammed into him and they began trading blows. The masked Saiyan's power increased with every swing and Xicor discovered to his horror and frustration that he was struggling to keep up with Broly – his inexperience with Super Saiyan 3 and the vast ki consumption of the form weren't working in his favour either.

Broly caught him with a right hook and followed with a left uppercut – Xicor's teeth clacked together from the blow – the masked Saiyan clasped his fists together and slammed an axe-handle blow that sent Xicor spiralling into the snow.

" _No, no, no! This is impossible! I have pushed myself past my limits to defeat this freak and he keeps surpassing me – and he hasn't even transformed!"_ Xicor mentally raged. _"How is this possible?!"_

Enraged, he unleashed the Revenge Kamehameha, pouring all his energy into the attack in an effort to finally destroy his opponent – Broly shot past the beam and slammed a crushing blow into Xicor's solar plexus, punching the wind out of his lungs. Xicor gasped for air – a fist crashed into his jaw and Broly followed with an energy wave. Blasted through the snow, Xicor managed to stand and he yelled as he tried to recover his energy – there was a flash and he reverted to his base form and fell wearily to one knee – he was spent and simply could not find the strength to keep fighting.

"Who's the weakling now?" Towa mocked.

"Impressive," Demigra crowed. "Your son has scored a victory over the pinnacle form of the Super Saiyan…and without transforming himself. I admit, I had my doubts, but your son has potential."

"Thank you," Paragus said, his eye glued to his son. He was proud, but he couldn't shake the dread that always crept up if Broly fought for too long – for now, the mask seemed to rein him in, but for how much longer? "Perhaps we can move this along now?"

"Yes, I quite agree…Goku Black, you're next."


	21. Circling of Black Vultures

A/N: Again, thank you for the reviews.

* * *

Eikyu smirked as she watched Xicor collapse – so much for his strength – it'd been nothing compared to Broly's and she viewed her 'brother' with distaste: he was weak and nothing more. In the aftermath of his victory, Broly gripped his head, a disconnect between his mind and the mask's power slowly growing, thanks to his rising power; a dark aura burst to life around him as Demigra and Towa recognised the matter and exerted their control to rein him in; Eikyu launched at the Saiyan and kicked him on the back of his neck.

"Damn it, Eikyu, no!" Towa shouted. "Back off now!"

Broly was unaffected by the blow, as Eikyu pirouetted and kicked him in the face – he recovered and reached for her; she struck him with a backflip kick and landed on the snow. She lunged at him – he clobbered her with a punch to her face and dropped her. Eikyu winced, her nose throbbing and she yelped when Broly grabbed her ankle and tossed her into the sky. She fired an energy wave and Broly countered with one of his own; her energy wave was cancelled and she did a barrel roll to avoid his blast – she gasped when Broly suddenly appeared before her and he punched her in the stomach, then pressed a ki ball to her face. Eikyu yelled as she was blasted across the sky.

"You foolish girl, what are you doing?" Towa demanded. "You're not meant to fight him; Broly is meant to fight your father. Eikyu, stop this right now and disengage!"

"Aw, come on, Mother; he trashed Xicor…that means he'll be fun," Eikyu wiped the blood from her lip, her Saiyan instincts humming. "Besides, I'm just getting warmed up."

"Let the girl play," Black called to Towa, content to watch his daughter fight; at least she wasn't trying to fight him. "How is she going to grow as a fighter if you won't let her?"

Towa glared at him with a look that spoke volumes of how much she wanted to kill him. "Broly is not intended for her – he's meant to kill you."

Black brushed her threat off with a shrug of his shoulders; Eikyu got blasted through the sky with another powerful punch and as Broly chased her, she caught herself, yelled and transformed into her Super Demon state – she narrowly dodged Broly's fist and punched him in the gut – he struck her with a vicious backhand and Eikyu tumbled towards the ground. She stopped her descent and began plastering the sky with Power Balls, trying to stop Broly as he charged at her – he rushed through the explosions and his fist met snow – Eikyu flew backwards and launched a Black Kamehameha. Broly shook off the energy wave and started hurling Powered Shells at the hybrid. She avoided them for as long as she could, but they eventually crashed against her body and she cried out as she was wrapped up in the explosions.

"Come on, girl, you can do better than that," Black growled.

"Damn it, Eikyu, do not die," Towa said, while both Demigra and even Mira smirked at the possibility of her daughter perishing; after Xicor's defeat, the pair had every reason to believe in another victory for the masked Saiyan.

Broly was powerful, she recognised that: Xicor had been defeated as a Super Saiyan 3 and Broly had not transformed in any way shape or form. Eikyu knew she was weaker than her 'brother' and didn't possess even the second level of Super Saiyan – that didn't mean she didn't have another trick up her sleeve. Broly charged at Eikyu – she flew to meet him head-on and at the last second, she slipped beneath the Saiyan and ended up behind him. Broly paused and whirled around in surprise, as Eikyu took on a stance and gathered her focus – her golden aura shrank to her body as she closed her eyes, tapping into her inherit power. Broly flew at her – she opened her eyes, her enlarged pupils now indigo, as indigo flames of energy swelled up around her and expanded outwards. Her hair took on the same hue and fell down around her shoulders, now refined and elegant, as she let out a pulse from her aura that stopped Broly in his tracks, the overwhelming pressure surprising him.

She was now a Super Demon Goddess.

"Impressive!" Black crowed, genuinely impressed with his daughter.

"I never knew she had such power," Towa murmured. "Then again, I shouldn't be surprised."

"Has she really taken on the power of divinity?" Baby questioned.

"Of course," Black smirked in his reply. "After all, she is my daughter – divinity is her birth right."

Eikyu crossed her arms over her chest and twin daggers of indigo energy coated her hands – she appeared in front of Broly and used her body as a corkscrew, drilling into his abdomen with her blades; on the final revolution, she slashed wide and struck with a backflip kick and Broly was launched into the sky. She swiftly caught up with him and began attacking him with slashes, a blade of energy emerging with every slice as she struck with the fluid grace of a dancer. With a final flourish of her blades, the energy accumulated together and generated a mass explosion that pummelled Broly into the snow.

"Don't kill him either," Towa grumbled, watching her daughter dominate Broly.

"Yes, that's right, child," Black smirked. "Show the mortals who are the rightful owners of the universe."

Broly rose up from the snow, struggling to cope with the damage he'd been dealt with, the Dark Dragonball and his own unique genetics working to overcome his opponent – Eikyu kicked him in the stomach while wrapped in her blazing aura and Broly smashed through an ice shelf, two ice shelves, three, four, fivesixseven – ten ice shelves shattered and collapsed before Broly came to a pounding stop within an eleventh ice shelf.

"And how was he meant to be a threat to me when he can't even stand up to Eikyu?" Black called out to Towa, taunting her with a smirk. "The mortal can't withstand her godly might."

Again, Broly gripped his head, the divide widening – Eikyu shot in, a ki blade around her right fist and she punched it across his face – a fragment of the mask went flying, revealing Broly's left eye. She hit him with a kick and he flew through the ice shelf; his mind fractured from the gap in the mind control and his own rising power, Broly roared, his dark aura flaring as gold energy outlined his body. Ice winds whipped up in fury around him, green energy seeping into his aura as his body swelled. The ground cratered as cracks splintered the surrounding mountains, the winds now a maelstrom.

Black frowned. "What is going on?"

"What is happening?" Towa questioned. "Our control over him has diminished and his power appears to be rising."

"I'm…I'm not sure," Paragus admitted. "He appears to be transforming…but I'm not sure how."

With a sneer, Eikyu charged, somersaulted, and slammed a leg drop upon Broly's shoulder – unflinching, he grabbed her leg and hurled her through the sky with surprising strength and chased her with astonishing speed. Caught off-guard, Eikyu attempted to re-establish her dominance with a series of punishing, pirouetting kicks – Broly shook off each and every blow like they were nothing, swinging his powerful fists that Eikyu was barely dodging.

"No, no, no, call him off!" Towa demanded to the Demon Wizard. "He's overwhelming her and she is not even his target."

"She picked a fight with Broly, she can suffer the consequences," Demigra callously replied. "Perhaps a beating at his hands would put a dent in her attitude."

Broly slammed a blow against Eikyu's defensive stance and she tumbled towards the snow, skidding to a stop; Broly landed, his rising power finally taking over – a Black Power Ball skimmed past his cheek and caught his attention.

"You've had your fun with the lesser beings, but now it's time for you to face a true god," Black commented, descending to the snowy battlefield. "After all, the Demons think you pose a threat to me; I will prove them wrong."

"I had him on the ropes," Eikyu protested, but he waved her off.

"Go stand with your mother; she'll need a shoulder to cry on when I destroy her project."

Reluctantly, Eikyu reverted to her base form and flew to her mother's side. Having recovered from his battle, Xicor took up a position anyway from the others to oversee the impending battle, furious with his loss; he hoped his 'father' suffered the same fate. Black smirked as he rolled his shoulders, preparing himself for the fight; Broly contorted through the final stages of his transformation, his left eye now gold as his stature increased in size and his hair spiked up in a wild Super Saiyan style. Black slipped into a stance, his Saiyan blood humming with the prospective challenge; after witnessing Broly's power, he was eager for a taste.

His body ready, Black flew at Broly and threw the first punch – the Saiyan didn't flinch and simply growled, his hand surging forth with an energy blast ready. Black was hurled across the air, but he recovered quickly with a small sneer, dusting his tunic off. The blast didn't quite pack a punch, but he felt the power within and he knew that this fight was going to be interesting.

Broly roared, his green aura bursting to life and he lunged – Black met him halfway, but angled out of the way at the last moment and landed a kick to the back of Broly's head – the Saiyan whirled around, grabbed Black by the leg and smashed him into the ground. An energy blast drilled into Black and the explosion flung him into the sky. Catching himself, Black growled and proceeded to fire multiple Power Balls at his opponent, smothering him with the barrage.

Broly charged through the blitz and slammed a fist into Black's gut, driving the air from his lungs. The body thief couldn't believe the sheer power contained within the blow – he felt pain, he couldn't breathe – and he was hurled across the landscape. Broly pursued, Black lashed out with a wild punch – Broly's fist connected first, tossing Black through the stormy winds of frost.

" _What a beast,"_ he grumbled, swatting aside a barrage of energy blasts – until Broly decked him again. _"This requires a little more power than I thought."_

With a shout, he transformed into a Super Saiyan; it was a basic transformation that was not worthy of a god, but he felt that the small power boost he gained would be more than enough to deal with Broly. Zipping around at high speeds (while superior to his normal form, it felt cumbersome compared to higher levels), Black worked on outmanoeuvring the gigantic Saiyan – Broly was powerful, yes, and fast too, but he showed no ability in finesse and proper fighting techniques…it was like the beastly mortal fought with instinct and Black didn't care for such a primitive and flawed style.

Black shot through the air, launching a tirade of Power Balls at various points in an attempt to confuse Broly – it seemed to work when Broly hit the Power Balls instead of Black – until Broly appeared to catch on and fire a Powered Shell that blasted Black in the chest. He recovered quickly and used Instant Transmission to move behind Broly and fire a Black Kamehameha – Broly tanked the energy wave with his body and surged forth with a mighty punch – Black literally saw stars.

Not to be deterred, Black vanished across the sky rapidly, again hoping to confuse the wrathful Saiyan. Broly saw through the attempt and bellowed as he flew at Black; he caught Black with an energy ball to the gut and hurled him across the sky – Black yelped as the ball exploded. Broly roared and fired multiple green energy blasts and Black darted as swiftly as he could to avoid them. The icy landscape cratered with each explosion, causing a shift in the glaciers. The beastly Saiyan roared again as he chased down Black and smashed him in the face with his fist. Again, Black yelped as he bounced several times across the ice.

" _Not even the simplistic Super Saiyan is enough against him,"_ Black mentally growled as he stood up. _"It's going to require more than I thought to beat him. Oh well, so be it."_

His golden aura surrounded him and with his fine-tuned concentration, he ascended again, the aura becoming indigo flames as he took on the form of a Super Saiyan God. Broly paused at the sight of the transformation and Black couldn't help but smirk. Perhaps now the beast would realise what he was up against and surrender…at the same time, Black's Saiyan blood hummed for a fight, wanting to exert the strength of a Super Saiyan God and crush his opponent with his overwhelming might.

This fight was proving to be as exhilarating as his battle against Cooler and he'd be dissatisfied if it ended too soon.

"Yes, you understand, don't you," Black smirked. "The others, they are simply toys, pretenders at my title. I am the real deal. You, Broly, are a freak of nature, a foolish mistake of the gods. Like the rest of the mortals, you need to be destroyed, for the good–"

Broly's fist smashed into Black's face, surprising him, but he growled and did a snap-vanish, charging the Super Black Kamehameha as Broly bellowed and flew for him. Just like last time, Broly swam through the energy wave and clocked Black in the jaw – Black punched him in the solar plexus in retaliation and aimed a sweep at his legs. Broly dodged the attempt and booted Black in the chest – as he flew backwards, Black swiped the air with the Aura Slide. Broly charged, as the cuts in the ice exploded in his face with godly energy, but he powered through them to reach his quarry – Black darted out of the way, slicing the ice in rapid sections; Broly took one step towards him and collapsed through the ice into the freezing waters below.

The surrounding area exploded in a cataclysmic display as Broly bellowed his rage, blasting out of the depths and hammered Black with such force that he slammed into the side of a frosty mountain – Broly punched him straight through it, chasing him through the other side and hurled a Powered Shell – Black managed to avoid it. Flaring his fiery indigo aura, Black punched his foe square in the face – Broly head-butted him in reply. Black tumbled, but he caught himself and flew at Broly, landed three blows against the Saiyan's chest – Broly slammed him with a single punch.

He was trying to read Broly's movements, attempting to utilise the massive Saiyan's own momentum against him, but for every parry that Black sought to pull off, Broly would viciously counter. As the battle raged, Black realised to his horror that he was becoming outmatched by the behemoth; he wondered if the Dark Dragonball had anything to do with Broly's power and he lunged, seeking to tear it free – Broly counteracted with a violent hook that drew blood and a Powered Shell swiftly followed.

Black landed near an ice shelf and lunged with the Aura Slide aimed at Broly's face – Broly seized his wrist and smashed a fist into Black's face. Stars exploded in front of Black's eyes once more, as Broly smashed blows into his body, shooting pain all the way to his bones – and perhaps even his soul, the strength was that possible. Before he could do anything, Black was grabbed by his hair and Broly proceeded to grind his face through the ice shelf – Black couldn't help the cries of pain that escaped his mouth as ice shattered excruciatingly upon his skin.

Not satisfied with the brutal move, Broly snatched Black by the ankle and slammed him into the ground with such force, Black was surprised his spine didn't snap – instead, he screamed, he couldn't help it, he screamed, agonising pain tearing throughout his body, but he was helpless as he was driven into the ice again with another vicious slam – astonishingly, his ribcage didn't shatter from the impact, but it was only a matter of time. Again and again, Broly pulverised the ice with Black's body, roaring as the god's agonized screams spurred him on. Cloth ripped and even blood flecked on the white backdrop, as Broly finally relented his ruthless assault, punctuating it with one last slam that left Black lying in an icy crater, immobilized with agony.

Even Towa winced from the dominant display; she wanted Black dead and she wanted it to be painful, but she didn't want him tortured in such a brutal fashion. His agonised screams echoed in her mind as she looked at her daughter and saw the concern in her eyes, mixed in with a variety of emotions; Towa surmised that Eikyu felt the same way.

Putine shook her head, ashamed for her part in bringing out this bestial side in a gentle man who had no desire to fight whatsoever.

Black's body shook in anguish, his eyes blown wide with pain as he tried to recover from such an onslaught – he couldn't comprehend the beat-down he just received, couldn't believe that a mortal was capable of unleashing this much pain on him – he thought he was ruthless, but Broly far surpassed him, leaving Black _shocked_. His consciousness flickered and he felt himself falling down the rabbit hole. He was beaten and broken, defeated by a mere mortal with power that easily surpassed the gods.

" _Impossible,"_ Black managed to think, struggling to fight back against the darkness that threatened to swarm him – he wanted to close his eyes and rest, but he refused. He had to keep fighting – the Demons could not have a weapon like Broly – he needed to find a weakness; he was not done yet.

With a groan, Black painfully got to his feet; his tunic was absolutely shredded and so, he tore the remains away. His pants were in tatters and his undershirt was missing half a sleeve, as Black wiped the blood from his mouth and squared his feet; if this didn't work, he had no idea what would.

A scream tore from his throat as he flared his godly aura, trying to get his aggrieved mind to focus. Broly watched dispassionately, as Black fought the inertia to push through his current limits – his indigo aura flickered with purple and dark red energy as his hair spiked upwards. Black roared with power, feeling it flow through his veins, his eyes turning from indigo to grey and with one final surge of power, he ascended, his hair turning pink as his aura changed to signal his transformation.

Super Saiyan Rosé.

Black opened his eyes and glared at his opponent with steely resolve. He was ready, his blood was pumping, and he was eager to fight.

Broly bellowed, his green aura flaring around him – Black punched him in the gut. Broly decked him in the jaw and punched him again – Black jammed a fist against his cheekbone. A punch to Broly's nose drove him back, but he was able to grab Black by the face and slam him into the ice – Black blasted him in reply. Broly staggered and Black kicked him into the sky, delivering at least three punches before Broly grabbed his ankle and drilled him back into the ground. He tossed Black aside and lunged after him, pounding away with his fists – Black used Instant Transmission and kicked Broly in the head, firing a pink energy wave at his massive body.

Broly drove his fist into Black's stomach, but Black grabbed his arm and yanked him close and kneed him in the jaw – the Rosé-blade appeared and Black ripped it across Broly's torso. The wrathful Saiyan howled and his fist clashed against the energy blade. Black pushed – Broly shoved harder; Black vanished and blasted Broly in the back. With a roar, Broly whirled around and caught Black with a Powered Shell – he chased after Black and grabbed him by the head and slammed their heads together. Black broke free with a kick to Broly's chin and struck with the Divine Retribution.

Broly roared and launched two Powered Shells – Black cleaved them both in half as he flew at Broly and they exchanged vicious, brutal blows like two powerful bulls battling for dominance. Black dodged Broly's fist and booted his face – Broly snarled and grabbed Black by the throat, driving him through the ice, through the ground and into the ocean of lava below. Black slashed his face to break free, flaring his aura to help protect against the intense heat of the magma and smirked; he was truly enjoying this battle.

Broly tried to attack, but Black countered with the Divine Lasso and even Broly was helpless as he was impaled by numerous energy spears – Black twirled like a dancer and raised the Rosé-blade and the spears detonated, blasting Broly back onto the icy surface. Black exploded through the layers of the Earth, because he so loved a dramatic entrance – Broly roared as he hurled the Dark Planet Crusher and Black yelled as he expanded his energy to withstand the violent storm that erupted. He emerged unscathed, but the icy landscape was wrought by the gargantuan attack and collapsed, shattering into an ocean of lava.

Demigra and Towa had erected a shield to protect themselves from the massive attack, but Xicor, Baby, and Kamin were unable to withstand the force of destruction and were thrown aside.

Broly bellowed as he charged at Black and avoided the first slash of the ki sword; the second caught him in the chest. Black dodged Broly's fist and punched him in the flank, then backhanded him with the Rosé-blade; his strength as Super Saiyan Rosé appeared to be more than Broly could handle and it made Black smirk as he traded blows with the mighty Saiyan, even making him wheeze. Black buried his fist into Broly's stomach, temporarily winding him, and struck him again with Divine Lasso; Broly bellowed when the spears detonated and Black launched through the pink cloud of smoke to kick Broly in the chest, skipping him across the sea of magma.

Multiple green energy blasts zipped through the air and Black demolished them with the Rosé-blade as he flew at Broly and parried his fist; he cracked the beastly mortal in the jaw and impaled him through the stomach with the Rosé-blade. Broly roared, annoyed more than anything else with the impalement, and clocked Black in the head; he spun from the blow and booted Broly in the throat and stabbed him again and sent him flying.

"You've annoyed me for long enough," Black growled as Broly vented his rage with his violent green aura. "It's time to put an end to this." He began charging the Super Rosé Kamehameha. Broly dashed forth, a Powered Shell in his hand. Black grinned as he reached the maximum point for the energy wave and just as Broly fell upon him, he screamed. "Kaio-ken!"

Supercharged with the infamous red energy, the Super Rosé Kamehameha smashed into Broly and drove him across the sea of lava – he roared as the energy tore at his body – it fractured his mask – he slammed into a mountainside and the energy wave punched him right through it, obliterating the mountain in the process.

"It appears that Broly is at his limits," Dabura commented as pink and green energy flashed across the sky.

"So it seems," Demigra responded and he glanced towards Paragus. "At least, for the time being; after all, he hasn't even tapped into the Super Saiyan power and we all know the sure-fire way to kick-start that. Mira!"

Paragus was so preoccupied with the raging battle that he didn't see the Demon Android until it was too late – Mira punched his fist through the Saiyan's back, killing him in an instant.

"What are you doing?" Putine cried.

Mira heaved the body – the Seven-Star pulsed, increasing Broly's power, but Black maintained the Kaio-ken – and it landed between the duelling Saiyans. Black frowned in confusion, but the moment Broly saw his father's corpse…all hell broke loose.

The anguish at the sight of his deceased father flooded his mind and shattered the Demons' control, the mask crumbling into pieces. He screamed in agony, free from the mask, his rage gushing out like a tsunami; it oozed from his pores and washed over him in combination with his sorrow – it engulfed him, crushing his sanity; the entire area shook with his anguish as he bellowed to the sky.

"Oh, was that someone important to him?" Black mocked, having dispersed the Kaio-ken before it burned him out; he looked towards the Demons. "What game are they playing at? Towa should just send him back to his own timeline; the fun is over now."

Broly's pupils fragmented, his aura wrapping around him like a cocoon and there was an almighty explosion; the beastly Saiyan rose into the sky within a pillar of energy, his eyes flashing red, his hair golden as he ascended, his rage flaring from his body and he looked at Black…his aggressor. Black glared back and Broly roared; a sphere of energy formed around his body as he continued to scream, shockwaves pulsing outwards that temporarily warped the colours of the landscape. Black braced himself for whatever was coming next, having sensed Broly's skyrocketing power, as the sphere vastly expanded in size like it was an indicator of his rising power – it grew from human-size to devastatingly colossal in an instant.

" _Damn it,"_ Black mentally growled. _"As if he wasn't difficult enough, now he's gone Super Saiyan. How is this possible, a simple mortal in the basic Super Saiyan form surpassing me?"_

The sphere collapsed and there was a storm of green energy blasts that rained down onto the battlefield – Black used the Rosé-blade to destroy the ones aimed at him, but they were powerful and with each blast exploding against his body, he suffered for it, his undershirt obliterated, and he knew that he was completely and utterly out of his league here – Broly's power was simply too much.

That didn't mean he was going to quit.

Black took to the sky and hurled a volley of energy spears from the Rosé-blade – Broly charged straight through them and slammed a punch against Black's chest – his eyes went white from the pain, he couldn't breathe, couldn't breathe at all, his mind went blank, black spots covered his vision – Broly clobbered him with a vicious left haymaker and Black soared. Broly's massive hand enclosed over Black's face and drove him into the side of a mountain – with a roar, Broly delivered a punishing kick to Black's body, followed by another and another, stomping the Saiyan-Kai into the rock.

" _Preposterous!"_ Black thought in between devastating stomps.

A ki blast slapped Broly in the back and he whirled around with a feral growl – Baby, empowered by dark energy, fired the Reverse Shot and they homed in on their target – Broly lunged and decked the Tuffle in the face, making his head ring from the mighty blow.

" _He's trying to help? Why?"_ Black wondered, painfully peeling himself out of his body-sized crater. He struggled to stand, swaying on his feet as he fought against the desire to slip unconscious. Broly's power was amazing to behold, but Black couldn't let him survive as a result – he just needed to find a way to defeat his powerful foe.

"Any time you'd like to help would be nice!" Baby shouted as Broly pounded him.

Flaring his aura, Black charged into the fight and kneed Broly in the back of his head – Broly whirled around, snatched Black by the ankle and whipped him into Baby; he then threw Black and hurled two Powered Shells after him. Black crashed into Baby again and they narrowly dodged the Powered Shells, before moving together in a counterattack. They struck at the same time – Broly slapped the pair into each other and blasted them away with an uppercut each. He chased Baby and tackled him to the ground, then proceeded to slam him into the ground multiple times. Baby screamed in agony and Black intervened with a Divine Retribution – Broly tossed him aside with a backhand.

" _He's too much! Nothing we do seems to work!"_ Black thought.

"Black, distract him!" Baby cried out, his body throbbing from the beat-down. "I have a plan!"

" _How dare he give me orders! But alright then, let's see what the parasite's got planned,"_ the Saiyan-Kai wondered. "Hey, Broly, over here!" Broly snarled as he flew at Black. "That's right, who's a good little puppy? Puppy wanna go for a run?"

Black took off, Broly in pursuit; Baby ascended into the sky and raised his hands, gathering energy for the Revenge Death Ball. Black smirked at the sight of the forming sphere – and he flew right past the Demons, veering to the left – Broly followed and set his sights on Demigra.

"Broly, what are you doing?" Demigra cried in panic, the Demons clearing out in an instant as Broly reached for him. "I am your-"

His head rattled from the vicious haymaker. Broly virtually used him as a punching bag, blasting him with brutal haymakers. Dabura transformed into a Demon God and struck with an Evil Flame – that simply made him Broly's next target and he suffered dearly for his attack.

"Send…him…back!" Demigra gasped, as Broly blasted Gravy away with a kick. "Send him back now!"

Towa, now in her Demon God form, aimed her staff at Broly – nothing happened. She tried again to return him to his original timeline, but it felt like something was preventing her.

"I can't! I'm being blocked!" she called. She tried once more, only to figure out the interference – once she recognised the source, she growled. "Chronoa."

In the Time Nest, utilising her Power of Time Unleashed form, it took little effort for Chronoa to block the Demons' efforts to send Broly back in time – she knew of his vast power, knew that it was enough to easily annihilate the Demons and Goku Black. By letting Broly have his way with her eternal rivals, she could have some measure of vengeance for the deaths of her Time Patrol. It felt petty to abuse her power like this, but Chronoa considered it was justified.

"Not so fun when the tables are turned, is it?" Black chuckled as Broly went ape-shit on the Demons.

Eikyu transformed into her Super Demon Goddess form and unleashed a Black Kamehameha – Broly responded with a Powered Shell that honed in on her – Black kicked her out of the way and took the hit for her, but that didn't deter Broly from targeting her. She took off and he chased her; she flew past Xicor, intentionally using her 'brother' as bait – he howled in fury as he was clobbered with a clothesline, completely unprepared for a second round. Broly slammed Xicor into the ground and brutally stomped on his chest several times – with each stomp, Xicor's ribs cracked and snapped, one of them puncturing his lung and he hurled blood from his mouth as his chest was caved in.

Baby flung the Revenge Death Ball with all his might – it descended upon Broly and he screamed as he was swallowed by the massive energy sphere. Baby grinned in triumph as the Revenge Death Ball crushed its target into the ground, eventually drowning out his screams – blades of green energy sliced through the Revenge Death Ball from within, eventually dissipating the powerful attack without further effect.

Broly roared, his aura blazing furiously – his upper armour had been vaporised, but otherwise, he was unharmed. However, he was now taller than before, his muscles gargantuan, and his wild hair green with hints of gold, the power of the Seven-Star showcased with black and red vein-like mass spread across his bare torso. His full power amassed, Broly picked his first target: Goku Black.

"What have we done?" Towa fearfully wondered, terrified of Broly's colossal power as he continued his monstrous rampage. "What have I created?"


	22. Rage of Broly

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews; I hope the following fight is up to standard.

* * *

She watched the battle rage with sorrow in her heart.

He fought like a mindless beast, his power too great for anyone to withstand. Putine felt ashamed for her hand in unleashing this insane power in Broly – he fought only to protect his father and now, in an enraged state, he battered anything that moved…although strangely, he seemed to leave her alone and she couldn't understand why. Didn't she deserve punishment as well?

Broly bellowed as he shook his head – he unleashed the massive Gigantic Roar and the hapless Kamin got caught in its path – her scream was extinguished as she was obliterated by the energy cannon.

"NO!" both Baby and Demigra cried at the same time at her death.

Broly targeted Towa next; she blasted him with a Spear-Shock – he surged through it and grabbed her throat – Black kneed him in the back and slashed with the Rosé-blade; Broly flung Towa into Black and he held onto her as he descended; Broly launched a Powered Shell and Black turned Towa away from its path so that he took the full brunt of the attack – Baby struck Broly with a Revenge Final Flash, drawing the titanic Saiyan's attention. He launched a quick Big Bang Attack – Broly surged through the energy blast with a Gigantic Charge and smashed Baby with his fist.

"It was never meant to go this far…I never imagined his power would be this…incredible," Towa spoke in a hush, her eyes wide in awe and fear as she watched Broly strike Dabura with a king-hit. "He's too powerful for us."

"Send him back to his proper time; problem solved," Black retorted.

"The Supreme Kai of Time has been blocking my efforts; we're stuck here with him."

"Ah, she wants revenge on me slaughtering her precious mortals…well, I'm open to other suggestions."

She got out of his arms, although his hand remained on her hip; it grounded her as she assessed the battleground; the Demons were doing their damn best to survive against such an overwhelming foe, but they were simply no match for the gargantuan Super Saiyan as he easily decimated them.

"EIKYU!" Towa suddenly yelled; their daughter was peppering Broly with Power Balls, trying to keep him away from Shroom – it worked, except that Broly decided the young hybrid would be his next target and she tried her best to avoid his fists – emphasise on tried.

Black set Towa aside and teleported to his daughter's side, defending her with the Divine Lasso; Broly interrupted his attack with a fierce blow to the face that nearly rendered him unconscious – Eikyu lunged with dual Aura Slides and she received a Powered Shell that left her clothes in tatters. Broly prepared a second Powered Shell, but Black tackled her out of the way in the nick of time.

"Let's go, kid!"

He took off, Eikyu close behind him, and Broly in pursuit. Black flew above the surface of the magma ocean; he checked over his shoulder on his daughter, saw that she was struggling to keep up due to her lesser form; Broly was hot on her heels. Black stopped and immediately charged his Kamehameha – Eikyu realised the tactic and dodged at the last moment and her father blasted Broly with his Super Rosé Kamehameha Wave at point-blank – Broly tanked the powerful attack and connected with a savage haymaker.

Black tumbled, blood dribbling from his mouth, his eyes rolling into his head as he fell out of the Rosé form; Broly punched him again and Black blacked out in response, his mind shutting down despite his body's desire to keep fighting – Eikyu dived and snatched her father before he fell into the lava – Broly carried on towards Gravy and punched him so hard in the stomach, his fist nearly exited his back.

"Father, are you okay?" Eikyu asked and when he didn't respond, his mind continuing the plunge into darkness, she slapped him – that brought him out of the rabbit hole, and his eyes snapped open to glare at her. "Oh good, you're not going to die on me."

"You sound disappointed, daughter," Black groaned, just as Towa landed beside them. "Oh, but here is the bane of my life and now I wish Broly had killed me."

The Time Witch glared at him. "I could say the same about you, Black."

"Last I checked, I wasn't the one responsible for Broly."

Broly swung at Dabura – and hit an illusion; the Demon King quickly charged the Evil Blast, but Broly was too fast – he crushed Dabura's hand, cancelling the ki blast, and as the Demon King howled in pain, Broly broke his jaw with a sickening blow.

"If you had given me the Dragonballs in the first place, I wouldn't have had to resort to such drastic measures like this," Towa stated furiously.

He sneered. "You're a fool if you think a god like me should bend to the wishes of a mortal."

"And here I was thinking we had a special connection that elevated us above the petty arguments of gods verses mortals."

Salsa and Shroom took on Broly in a two-on-one assault; the legendary Super Saiyan snatched them both by their faces and drove them through a mountainside. He left Salsa behind in a crater and treated Shroom to the same manoeuvre he'd inflicted on Black and Baby – the Death God's screams rang clear across the battlefield as he was brutally pounded into the terrain.

"Mother, Father, enough with the arguing," Eikyu angrily interrupted before Black could reply. "We're in a fight we cannot win and all you two can do is bicker! It's stupid!"

"So naïve about the ways of the universe," Black said mockingly. "You have a lot-"

"I don't care! If you want to die because you want to be an idiot, then I'll happily allow Broly do the job for me."

He glared at his daughter. "Do not speak to me in that manner, young lady."

Mira took a blow to the face and crashed into a mountain, where he slipped unconscious from the strength of the punch; Broly seized Demigra and slammed him into the ground, then pulverised him through the earth and continued to hammer him into the deep underground layers of the planet. The whole time, Demigra was helpless against the assault as he drilled into the outer core; Broly then reversed direction, using the Demon Wizard as a guide back to the surface. When they returned, the titanic Saiyan hurled Demigra aside like he was a dirty rag and hit him with a Powered Shell; Demigra rolled to a stop, breathless and aching in pain from the savage attack. With no other immediate targets, Broly vented his uncontrollable rage with an almighty roar.

"We need to stop Broly however we can," Towa said. "Eikyu is right; we cannot do that if we're too focused on arguing with each other."

Black perused the combat zone; Broly was searching for more victims to batter, but the Saiyan-Kai spotted the still-standing Baby…and a memory popped in the forefront of his mind, sparking an idea. It gave him waves of revulsion and it was a desperate gamble, but if he wished to triumph over Broly, he had no other choice; after all, he couldn't sink any further than he already had.

"Baby!" Black called, joining the Tuffle's side. "I have an idea."

"I'm all ears," Baby grumbled, holding his injured left shoulder. His body was wracked with pain and he was open to anything from anyone that could stop the agony.

The body thief held out his hand and a green Potara earring materialised in his palm, a match to the one on his left ear. "We temporarily fuse together to create a warrior powerful enough to defeat Broly."

The Tuffle glared at him in disgust. "Merge our bodies? Are you out of your mind? I'd rather die!"

"Trust me, I would choose death over fusing with a parasitic mortal like yourself, but we honestly have no other choice; I have witnessed Goku and Vegeta do this in the past and I saw their power – ours will be enough to combat Broly…unless you much prefer to be his chew-toy."

Baby mulled over the decision, just as Broly looked in their direction; he wanted revenge against the Saiyan for Kamin's death and if fusing with his hated rival brought that about, then so be it. He also had no desire to die at the hands of a Saiyan and he knew he was way out of his league against Broly. "Fine, give it here. I just put this on and we instantly fuse?"

"That's right; it's an item of the gods, so be thankful you get to wield this privilege," Black said as the Tuffle took the earring. "Towa, heal us!"

The Time Witch obliged, using her Energy Zone to restore the two to full health; Broly boosted his speed, spurred on by the dazzling light display – potential victims! – Baby clipped the Potara onto his right ear and the power of the earrings yanked him and Black into each other, creating a blinding flash of light that halted Broly in his tracks.

The light broke away in particles, revealing a singular man as tall as Black with a physique similar to Baby. His facial shape and jawline was Baby's, his features were Black's, his skin tone was a combination of the two host bodies, and he had the Tuffle facial markings; his black eyes featured the signature crosshairs of the Machine Mutants. His hair had the same style as Black's Super Saiyan appearance, albeit shorter; the majority of the hair and the enlarged bang was white, while the small patch on the left side and shorter bang was black. His attire took the undershirt, belt and pants from Black, with Baby's boots and gloves, now white instead of yellow, and he had Baby's pauldrons and Black's grey tunic, the latter lengthened in a similar manner to a Supreme Kai's coat; the green Potara on both ears completed his appearance.

"When Goku and Vegeta fused with the Potara, they called themselves Vegito…I guess that makes me Baby Vegetto Black," he spoke – Broly punched him. "Ohh, you want to play, huh? Well, come on, Broly, let's play."

Vegetto took off and Broly chased his new prey with a battle roar, unleashing a stream of energy bullets at his target. The fusion darted around the bullets as he sought to create enough space – as Broly closed the gap, Vegetto used Instant Transmission to escape the Saiyan's grasp, reappearing beside Towa and Eikyu. While Broly was confounded at the teleportation, and thus looking for his target, Vegetto bellowed with the dual voice of Black and Baby reverberating across the battlefield like a challenge; Broly realised what happened and charged – his body outlined in pink, Vegetto gave a final surging roar and he exploded into Super Saiyan Rosé – Broly hurled a punch and Vegetto effortlessly stopped it, although the force did push him back slightly – he gave a cocky smirk.

"Don't you know you only get one free hit?" the fusion taunted. "Here, let me show you how it's done. Nyah!" He slammed a punch into Broly's jaw and the behemoth was staggered for the first time – Vegetto followed up with a spinning kick to the head.

Broly growled as he shook his head like a mangy dog and threw a punch; Vegetto narrowly parried and elbowed Broly in the face and kneed him in the jaw – he coated his fist in godly ki and launched a punch into Broly's face that sent the legendary Super Saiyan flying. With a snarl, Broly charged and hurled his fist and it clashed against Vegetto's fist – the landscape was wrought by the sheer force of their combating powers. They hurled blows at each other in frenzy – Broly landed a lucky hit and Vegetto punished him with a brutal kick to the flank that left the Saiyan momentarily breathless.

"Wow," Towa whispered in shock, while Eikyu simply had no words to say, awestruck as she was. "Black was right – he is powerful."

Broly roared and fired a massive energy beam – Vegetto dodged the blast and shot in with a punishing kick to the Saiyan's face. A series of physical attacks followed and Broly snarled in fury as he lashed out – Vegetto darted out of the way and held out his hand; the Big Bang formed, filled with the dark energy of the God Splitter, and he launched it. Broly bellowed with frustration and hurled a Powered Shell. Vegetto smacked it aside with a grin and the Rosé-blade appeared. He leapt away from Broly's fist and hammered him with the Heavenly Arrow – Broly roared and created an energy barrier to protect himself from the barrage – he blasted through the air, hand outstretched for his opponent – Vegetto vanished and stomped on his head.

"What's the matter?" the fusion mocked as he decked the gargantuan Saiyan. "Can't you keep up?"

In response, Broly fired a multitude of energy bullets from his palm. Vegetto sighed and waded through the storm and struck Broly with three vicious blows. Broly swung his fist - Vegetto countered with a wide sweep of the Rosé-blade and shot the Saiyan with an Atomic Blast. The Saiyan howled, but he barely had a chance to recover before Vegetto laid into him once more.

"Come on, Broly; see if you can hit me."

Broly lashed out with a flurry of swings that Vegetto dodged – however, the fusion recognised that if he didn't use his full strength and concentration, one of those punches could connect; he'd initially assumed that the gap in power between Broly and him was wide, but with the effort he was putting in to avoid the blows, Vegetto realised the gap was a lot smaller – it was a boon that he had the martial arts ability of both Black and Baby, as that helped give him the edge he needed. Broly fought with the unpredictability of a wild animal due to the rage that consumed him, but that primitive style made it easier for Vegetto to combat the gigantic Saiyan.

Broly made a wild swing and Vegetto capitalised with a full-force blow to the Saiyan's solar plexus – the titan snarled and swung again, but Vegetto darted out of the way, making rapid movements across the sky. Broly mimicked him, the pair flashing at incredible speeds as they stared each other down – the Super Saiyan lunged with a mean swing and Vegetto deflected his fist and slammed a knee into the behemoth's stomach, winding him. Broly responded with a massive punch that Vegetto blocked and the force sent him flying; he simply smirked and skated backwards across the lava ocean, arms crossed, as Broly chased him. The Super Saiyan lashed out; Vegetto countered with a sharp elbow strike to the ribs and yet another swift blow to the jaw.

"You're nothing than a barbarian, Broly. A mortal beast like you should bow before a god like me and beg for mercy, beg that I don't put you down like a rabid animal!"

He emphasised the last word with a brutal kick that punched Broly through a mountain; for the first time since his transformation, Broly began to feel a different emotion to rage – he felt fear.

With a tremendous roar, Broly flared his green aura and lunged with Gigantic Charge – Vegetto countered with his knee to the Saiyan's face and then struck from above with a Rosé Savage Strike. Broly howled as he fell into the ocean of lava, but he quickly burst back into the sky, throwing a wild Powered Shell – Vegetto hit him with the Divine Retribution.

The titanic Saiyan felt desperation creeping up his spine and he unleashed the Gigantic Omegastorm; Vegetto shook his head in disappointment and lunged over the massive energy wave, engaged the Rosé-blade and hurled numerous energy spears from the ki sword. Broly gasped as he was impaled multiple times; any spears that missed their target switched their trajectory and impaled Broly in the back; Vegetto completed the final pose of the Reverse Divine Lasso and Broly screamed in agony when the spears detonated in a massive, devastating explosion.

Putine watched the one-sided battle and her heart ached for Broly, especially when she heard him scream like that and she wished she could help him, but what could she do? She couldn't send him back in time, not with Chronoa blocking their efforts, unless…she had another idea.

"You've been a bad puppy, Broly, and like all bad puppies, it's time to put you down!" Vegetto growled. "Let's finish this!"

Beams of energy were emitted from Broly's mouth as he rolled his head and unleashed the destructive Gigantic Roar – Vegetto flared his aura and blasted over the powerful energy cannon and cracked Broly in the jaw; he struck Broly with a series of blistering attacks, pounding him across the terrain. Broly bellowed and fired an energy wave – Vegetto dodged and thrust his hand forth and impaled Broly through the chest with the Spirit Excalibur – the Seven-Star Dark Dragonball plunged towards the lava and without its energy, Broly instantly lost the power increase. Vegetto sneered as he hoisted the titanic Saiyan on his energy sword – and ripped a massive slash across his torso – Broly screamed in agony as his blood was spilled from the tremendous injury.

The scent of blood aroused Vegetto's Saiyan instincts and he closed in for the kill.

Scared, desperate, and wounded, Broly fought for survival by spamming a barrage of energy blasts. Vegetto shot forth, waded through the storm without harm, and struck with the Rosé Savage Strike. He viciously attacked again and again, inflicting powerful blows upon Broly's hapless body – the gargantuan Saiyan threw a punch in an effort to defend himself – Vegetto batted his fist aside and drove home an uppercut that had Broly spitting blood. He gathered a Powered Shell – Vegetto kicked the blast out of his hand and pirouetted into a second kick against his head.

Broly tried to keep Vegetto away with a frenzied barrage of Powered Shells and when the fusion avoided them all and closed the gap, the Saiyan unleashed the Blaster Meteor at the last moment; caught by surprise, Vegetto swiftly threw up an Energy Barrier. Broly screamed with pain and desperate fury, the centre of a storm of energy blasts; Vegetto yelled as he maintained the Barrier against the intensity, the surrounding area obliterated by the salvo – he used Instant Transmission to escape the bombardment and kneed Broly in the face, ending the attack.

He blitzed Broly with another series of devastating blows, truly putting the hurt on the already injured Saiyan – Broly's sanity started to return due to the vicious assault, desperate for the pain to end – Vegetto slammed him with a left hook; the Spirit Excalibur burst forth once more and captured Broly and Vegetto smashed him into the ground as a brutal end to their fight.

Landing opposite from the struggling Saiyan, Vegetto threw his hands out to his sides, gathering immense energy into his palms. He knew that with every drop of his ki, he would obliterate Broly.

"FINAL…KAA!" Vegetto cried as he cupped his energy-filled hands to his side. "MEE! HAA! MEE! HAAAAAA!" he bellowed as he launched the massive energy wave combination.

Surrounded by purple swirls of energy, the pink beam surged towards the terrified Broly – he was too injured, too weak to do anything but watch his death approach. His pupils returned as he was gripped by terror – at the last second, Putine appeared and grabbed Broly's hand and vanished with him as the Final Kamehameha swept over his spot. The powerful energy wave flew harmlessly towards outer space and Vegetto lowered his hands. He couldn't sense Broly anymore and could only assume the Super Saiyan had been obliterated by the Final Kamehameha.

-X-

On Planet Vampa, there was a flash of light and Putine appeared with Broly by her side; he shrank back to his normal size as he lost the Super Saiyan form and he collapsed out of exhaustion – Putine caught him before he crashed into the hard terrain and he looked at her in puzzlement.

"Putine?" he questioned and recognised the surroundings. "We're…home. How?"

"I brought you here to spare you from death," the sorceress replied.

"But…why?"

"I couldn't bear the thought of you getting killed, especially when I was part of the reason you were involved in that fight," she admitted. "I have probably made myself an outcast as a result, but I rather be banished than watch you die."

He was fatigued; adrenalin charging through him at the close brush with death, his blood staining his body, but Broly managed a weak smile. "Thank you, Putine…I appreciate it."

"You're welcome; now, let's sort out these wounds before you bleed to death."

-X-

Chronoa lowered her hand. "Truth be told, I was not expecting that outcome. They may live…for now." She sighed and relaxed her powers, reverting back to her weaker, child-like form.

-X-

He sensed the energy of the Demons, noting they were weak; they were easy pickings for death, too weak to stop him from the beatings they suffered at Broly's hands, but he felt the ki of someone slowly fading and that drew his attention. Vegetto used Instant Transmission to appear by Xicor's side and took in the sight of the broken hybrid; Xicor opened his eyes, having sensed Vegetto's presence and smirked weakly at him, his face pale from blood loss.

"Well…look at you…all fused and shit," the hybrid feebly spoke.

"Broly broke you," Vegetto noted. "I could have Towa heal you, but then you'd continue to be a problem and I cannot allow that. There's no place for you in my paradise. It's a shame really; you could've been a great deity, but your arrogance blinded you."

Xicor's eyes widened briefly and then he chuckled painfully, blood spilling down his chin. "I'm surprised…I held on this long…to give you that honour…not like…I have a say."

"Goodbye, Xicor," Vegetto said as he created the Rosé-blade and plunged it into the hybrid's ruined chest. Xicor's expression became one of agony as he was impaled; his eyes slowly rolled into the back of his head and he fell limp, his ki evaporating into oblivion, his life extinguished.

Vegetto removed the blade, his body flashed, and he split apart into Baby and base Black – the former immediately tore the Potara from his ear and crushed it, while the latter fell to his knees beside Xicor's body; there was a storm of emotions in his eyes, notably disappointment. It shouldn't have ended like this, but it'd been best to nip Xicor in the bud while the chance was there.

Baby got blasted in the back and Black spun around, the Aura Slide engaged – the Energy Jet blasted him in the chest and left him strewed upon the ground, hissing in pain. With a smug grin, Demigra stood over the two body-snatchers, the Seven-Star Dark Dragonball in hand.

"Well, wasn't that fortuitous for us? You took care of the beast for us and now that leaves you at our mercy," the Demon Wizard gloated.

Black tried to get up, but Demon God Dabura came out of nowhere with a vicious flying knee to the face. He spat blood and glared at the Demon King. "Last I checked, Broly turned you all to paste…how are you standing after getting massacred?"

"While you and the Tuffle were busy with the barbarian, your lovely Towa healed us…and now, it's time to kill you and retrieve the Dragonballs."

Black growled and stood up – he screamed when Shroom hit him from behind with his scythe and cleaved his soul, eviscerating his power. Severely weakened, Black ate a blow from Mira that dropped him – Baby wanted to help, but Salsa held him at sword-point and the Tuffle knew he had no chance in his current state, drained as he was from the fusion.

"Are you really going to butcher me in front of my daughter?" Black queried, spitting out a glob of blood. He looked past the Demon Wizard at Eikyu, who appeared conflicted at the proceedings, while Towa was nearby with a face of stone as she impassively watched.

"Give us the Dragonballs and we can spare her from witnessing such a show."

Black laughed weakly and stood up despite the overwhelming pain; he pointed at Shroom. "I'm going to kill you first." He motioned to Salsa. "Then him." To Gravy. "You'll be next." To Dabura. "Then you." To Mira. "I'm going to savour killing you." And finally, to Demigra. "And I'm going to save you for last."

"Such a noble aspiration, Goku Black, but you shouldn't make promises you can't keep," Demigra said and he blasted Black with a ki wave. His staff and the Seven-Star glowed; Black growled in pain as the three Dark Dragonballs in his possession were extracted from his body and sailed over to the Demon Wizard. "Excellent. Mechikabura's moment is at hand. Dabura…you can finish him now."

"Wait a moment," Towa interrupted and Black smirked at Demigra's frustrated look. "We could kill Black and that would satisfy us, but that means he doesn't get to suffer…and I want him to truly suffer for everything he's done, for all of eternity if possible."

"And how do you propose we do that, Towa?" the Demon Wizard asked in exasperation. "And for that matter, why even bother? We kill him now, we never have to worry about him again."

"Yes, but it wouldn't it be satisfying to banish him in a hell dimension for all eternity?"

Demigra gave her the side-eye. "What are you playing at, Towa? I understand that he is the father of your brat; if you can't handle the sight of us killing him, you are free to look away; but he has been a constant thorn in our side and I'd rather see him eliminated quite permanently."

"Perhaps we should listen to her," Black suggested. Dabura struck him from behind and he winced as he fell to his knees; he couldn't muster the energy to get up – Shroom's magic was damn potent.

"You know, I kinda like the idea of banishing him," the Death God piped up; Black cocked an eyebrow. "There are a number of hell dimensions that he can't escape from; he'll meet his end in one of those for sure. Towa's right; killing him is too plain and simple. He doesn't deserve an afterlife."

"Kill him," Mira stated.

"Kill him," Salsa agreed.

"I won't say no to his death, but I do agree with my sister," Dabura commented. "I'd rather he'd suffer all kinds of agony for as long as possible."

Demigra pondered for a moment. "Eikyu?"

She stared at him in surprise. "Me? You want my opinion? From an abomination on whether you should kill my father or not?"

"Just give us your thoughts without your attitude; you are the deciding vote," Demigra said wearily. "I'd very much like to get the Dragonballs back to Mechikabura as soon as possible."

"Banish him," the teenager replied with a casual shrug. "It's what he deserves."

"And to think I would've given you the universe," Black remarked; she simply waved goodbye at him sarcastically.

"I suppose, if you do manage to return, Mechikabura can sort you out. That would be entertaining," Demigra commented. "But I doubt it. For your sins against us, Goku Black, you will suffer for all eternity until death finally claims you."

"Look at you preaching about sin," Black sneered. "Finally stepping up in the world, Demigra…good for you."

Towa knelt before Black and caressed his jaw with the touch of a lover; she drew him close and captured his lips in a searing kiss; Mira looked away in disgust, while Eikyu turned her attention elsewhere due to the embarrassment of her parents making out. The kiss tasted of a bitter farewell, one last kiss at the end of the journey, and Towa slowly broke away, her staff glowing.

"Goodbye, lover. It was fun while it lasted," she smiled, running her thumb across his lips.

A portal opened beneath Black and countless hands of damned souls reached for him, clawing at every inch of him – Black snarled and fought against them, the Aura Slide slicing through the souls, but in his enfeebled state and against such overwhelming numbers – for every soul he cut, two more took its place – he couldn't fight for long and was dragged into the hellish dimension, buried beneath the writhing souls. He bellowed as he struggled – he was outmatched and swarmed by the souls, his body constricted beneath their hands as they smothered him – and he cast a final look at Towa and Eikyu before the portal closed shut, sealing him within the dimension.

"Nice choice in dimensions," Shroom commented. "He won't be getting out of that one in a hurry, if ever; he'll be dead before he gets the chance."

"At least we'll have an execution today," Demigra smiled, looking at Baby. "Your execution, Tuffle, will serve as the coronation of Mechikabura's return to power. Hmm, it's a shame that Putine has decided to abandon us at our moment of triumph, but I hope we'll see her again soon. I don't want her to miss out on the glory."

Towa opened a wormhole and Salsa marched Baby through the portal; the rest of the Demons followed suit, soon returning to their base. As Demigra headed off towards Mechikabura's room to deliver the good news, Towa reverted to her base form and retreated to her new laboratory, her daughter trailing behind her. The Time Witch wanted to relax from such an arduous day – she was disappointed that she lost Broly, and somehow Putine as well, but there was some satisfaction to be had in Black's banishment – it made her smile to think about the suffering he was going through.

"Mom," Eikyu piped up. "Why did you have Father banished instead of killed?"

"Because like I said, death is too simple and grants him a release from this world," Towa replied. "Banishing him to a realm from which he cannot escape is a more apt punishment for him; he will be tormented for eternity and that is so much better than basic death."

"Okay, but that just makes the entire past year a waste of time," the hybrid pointed out. "You trained me to kill Father, only to banish him in the end."

"True, but you are far stronger now, and regardless of the outcome, your father is out of the picture for good. Now, go rest up, dear; our return to glory is mere moments away."

Eikyu looked like she wanted to argue, but one look from her mother and she relented; with a put-upon sigh, the hybrid made her way towards her room; Mira entered the laboratory, passing Eikyu, and the hybrid glared at him, but ultimately continued on her way.

"Is there something I can do for you, Mira?" Towa questioned as she began the search for Putine.

"Your infatuation with Black has made you weak," he stated bluntly.

That got her attention. "Excuse me? What are you talking about? What 'infatuation'?"

"He should be dead, but your infatuation with him has allowed him to live."

"He is trapped in a hell dimension that will tear him to shreds before he even gets the slightest chance at an escape – he will suffer a thousand agonies before death. I am not infatuated with him!"

"Hmph," the Demon Android sneered. "That's why you kept going back to him…because you're not smitten with him? You willingly bore his child, a spit in my face and on our relationship…because of him, I lost you!"

"Yes, we've been over this already…what else is new? I understand your frustrations, Mira-"

"No, no you don't, Towa," he growled, stalking close to her. "You've grown weak because of him; your abomination is a constant reminder of your obsession with Black, and I am done with you throwing me to the side like I am nothing more than rubbish to you."

"Mira, you're being preposterous-"

"Silence!" he snarled and he snatched her throat, shocking her with his boldness. "I will not wallow under you while you disregard me; I will not allow you to constantly bring shame to us; I will not allow you to destroy everything we've worked for…enough is enough, Towa!"

"Mira, stop this-" Towa choked, but a light enveloped her and she gasped as she felt her essence being drawn into her creation's very body. "Mira, what are you doing?"

"I will restore everything you've ruined…you are not fit to lead us into the future…I am," Mira said as he absorbed Towa into his body, undergoing an immense transformation that shook the foundations of the Demon base and even catching Mechikabura's attention. In his new form, Mira glowed. "Yes, this is perfect."

* * *

A/N: If you've never seen the video of Black and Baby vs. Broly on YouTube, I'd recommend checking it out; it served as an inspiration for this chapter.


	23. Out of Hell

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, faves, and follows; they're immensely appreciated.

* * *

The Demon Emperor realised what happened when he couldn't sense Towa's energy following the massive power surge; sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed when the newly transformed Mira sauntered into the small throne room, drawing everyone's attention.

"Where's Towa?" Demigra questioned.

"I have made her a part of me, therefore freeing myself from her control and start my own path," Mira announced. "We have no need for her or her constant failures; we shall achieve the new dawn without any further hindrance."

"YOU BASTARD!" Eikyu screamed. She exploded into a Super Demon and launched at Mira – he calmly caught her by the throat, and with the tiniest squeeze, he reverted her to base form.

"That's enough out of you, abomination – your very existence is a blight against nature and with your parents out of the picture, there is no need for you," Mira grinned as he slowly choked the hybrid; she struggled in his grasp, his strength too great for her, and she began fading out of consciousness.

"Mira," Mechikabura spoke quietly, but with enough gravitas that the Demon Android looked at him. "Let her go; she still has her important part to play."

Mira looked as if he would disobey, but he relented and casually dropped Eikyu; she coughed and spluttered, hand to her reddened throat as she shot a death glare at her mother's absorber.

"I will fucking kill you," she promised with a snarl.

"In due time, you are welcome to attempt your revenge; for now, stay out of the way until you are needed," Mira taunted.

"Enough with the power display, Mira," Demigra cut in; nearby, Dabura was seething, barely holding back his urge to destroy Mira and somehow save his sister – he held back due to Mira's immense power, knowing he stood no chance. "And prepare the Dragonballs – the sooner we can restore the Dark Lord, the better."

The Demon Android did a small mocking bow. "As you wish."

Mechikabura moved off his throne; fatigued as he still was from ageing Eikyu, he required Demigra's assistance to walk. Eikyu remained on the floor, sullen and withdrawn, as the Demons (Shroom dragging the restrained Baby behind him) left the throne room to begin the summoning; a sob escaped her due to the loss of her mother and she wished that her father was here…in what capacity, the hybrid wasn't sure, but she felt the need for him right now, a far cry from when she first met him – with the sudden loss of her mother, Eikyu needed a parental figure to turn to.

Atop the highest spire of the small Demon fortress, Mira and Demigra placed the Dark Dragonballs in a group; Baby was held at sword-point by Salsa, unable to do anything but await his impending death. There was a flash and Putine suddenly appeared, startling all except the stronger beings.

"Ah, Putine, perfect timing," Demigra greeted. "Welcome back…from wherever you were."

"Something required my immediate attention…I apologise for my absence," she replied.

The Demon Wizard eyed her cautiously, but ultimately dropped the matter. "Very well; as you can see, the restoration of our glory is almost here."

"How can I assist?"

"Simply witness our triumphant moment."

The mind-controlled Dende was brought out; he'd been held prisoner since the creation of the Dark Dragonballs for this very moment. He spoke the incantation, the Dark Dragonballs glowed with unholy light, and there was an explosion of light, a beam of energy ascending into the dark sky. The light faded to reveal Dark Shenron and he grinned at the Demons, his blue lizard-like tongue lolling out of his mouth.

"Speak your wish!" he demanded. "I shall grant you any one wish!"

"Shenron!" Mechikabura called. "I wish for you to restore me to my youth."

Dark Shenron paused briefly. "That I can do, but it will take me some time. You will have to be patient."

"I have waited long enough; I can be patient for a few more moments," the Demon Emperor mused.

-X-

They clawed his skin; they pierced his flesh; they suffocated his airways. He couldn't move, buried within the mass of damned souls – their touch on his body felt like torture and there was nothing he could do, for any motion he managed to make, they swarmed him like flies upon a corpse. Shroom's magic hindered his abilities; the reminder that he'd been bested by mortals enraged him, slowly overcoming the potent effects of the Death God's scythe.

Buried beneath the infestation, Black had to wonder: what was Towa playing at by sending him here? He was virtually at the mercy of the Demons and instead of killing him, she chose to banish him instead – he knew he should feel thankful that he wasn't dead, but it left him confused. What did it mean? Obviously, she didn't want him dead, but for what reason? Was this…was this her way of accepting his offer at a later date? He had to know; he needed to understand her reasoning – Black realised he probably never would understand half of Towa's decisions, but this was one he wanted to get to the bottom of, for if she wanted to be by his side and this was her way of choosing that, then he could overlook his current predicament in favour of her acceptance.

And then what? Could he really spend a life in companionship with a mortal? His entire goal in life was to purge the universe of mortals in order to purify it, and even though Towa had birthed his divine child, did she deserve to be spared? If even one mortal lived, then his goal was not complete…she was only a deity in the same way Goku and Vegeta used god ki in blasphemy – at heart, she was a mortal…then again, his body was Goku's, and it may be a shell for his godly soul, but it still made him mortal all the same, no matter what he told himself about Goku's body being necessary for the righteous cause.

Agony slashed through Black and he hissed and tried to pull away, but the claws of the damned were hooked in his flesh, holding him still so that others could gnaw on him, hoping to shred him down to his very soul and corrupt him into one of them, becoming damned for all eternity.

In truth, Black was already damned.

He needed to escape, needed to remind the Demons exactly who they were fucking with…he needed to get his daughter away from their influence and put her on the correct path to godhood; he figured he could give her that much after she was the deciding factor in his fate. However, if he couldn't escape from this infernal dimension, then it would never happen if the Demons managed to revive their realm – the universe would be corrupted beyond salvation.

He needed to escape, he needed to stop the Demons, he needed to rescue his daughter – the damned souls tore at him and he screamed and they infested his body, tearing at his insides. Fury built in his veins at their sacrilege and gold light flickered around his body as he attempted to fight back – he will escape, even though he felt like he was at his limits; he knew otherwise – there were no limits for Saiyans and they were at their most dangerous when they're at their limits.

Black screamed again, his eyes turning emerald as the Aura Slide emerged around his hand – a damned soul screeched at getting sliced and the sound _hurt_ Black's ears – he ignored the hellish scream, concentrating on his own power, even as the damned souls continued to rip at him. Gold energy flickered rapidly, his rage fuelling his strength – Black tore his arm free with a roar and cleaved through a damned soul – three lunged at him and he screamed, gold light exploding around him as he transformed into Super Saiyan; his power was slowly returning, but he had enough to rip through the damned souls, freeing himself from their savage claws and expelling the spirits from inside.

He burst through the damned souls, fighting his way out – if there was an exit, he had no idea how to find it, but at least he wasn't drowning under the infernal creatures. They dogged him, eager to get their claws back into his flesh and tear him asunder – he launched a Power Ball and it destroyed several damned souls, but more swiftly took their place, swarming after him like angry ants.

" _You will not stop me! The Demons cannot hold me here forever! I will show them the might of Goku Black and they will realise their missed opportunity and shall suffer for their actions!"_

There was no way out, but that meant nothing to a god; he fired another Power Ball, decimating the pursuing damned souls. Several of the corrupted struck him from behind, slashing him with their claws – he tried to fight them off, but their numbers slowed him, allowing the rest to dog-pile him, their claws resuming their place. Black's rage took hold and he screamed, the golden aura exploding around him – the dimension shook under his power as he ascended to Super Saiyan 2, the bio-electricity flashing violently, blasting the creatures off his body. His energy kept the damned souls at bay, but it was only a matter of time before they broke through and overwhelmed him once more – he had to get out. He focused his rage on the dimension that kept him trapped, seeking to break through the borders so he could have his revenge; he refused to remain imprisoned here at the will of the Demons.

The dimension quaked under his immense power, fraying at the edges – the longer he screamed to bring his power out past its limit in order to overcome Shroom's magic and vent his rage, the more the borders unravelled – already, light from another dimension peeked through the walls into the pitch-black realm and Black still continued to scream. A damned soul pushed through his golden barrier, only to be shredded by his sheer energy output – that didn't deter the others, all willing to feast on his flesh regardless of the cost to their own lives; like rabid beasts, they fought each other to be the first to devour him, as pink energy glimmered in his gold aura.

Black finalised his transformation with one last roar and he ascended to the plateau of Super Saiyan Rosé – the damned souls were blasted away by the sheer force of his godly power and a portal opened behind him, finally giving in to his strength; Black smirked and dashed out of the hell dimension and the damned souls screeched and pursued; he unleashed a Super Rosé Kamehameha. The beam slashed through them, holding them back as the dimension sought to reassert itself and closed the portal. With a weary sigh, Black dropped back into his base form and realised he was back at the Arctic – it didn't matter where he was, as long as he was free from that accursed realm.

He restored his clothes and placed two fingers on his forehead and searched for Towa's energy – his eyes went wide with horror when he couldn't track her – what the hell had happened to her? Surely, he was mistaken; Black tried again, but no matter what, he couldn't find Towa…he felt something similar to her energy, but it wasn't her and he could detect the rest of the Demons…wait, why did that feel like Mira? Why was his energy so immense? Horror dawned on Black as realisation struck: Towa had become part of Mira, ascending his power.

He quickly searched for Eikyu and a breath of relief escaped him when he felt her energy; she was fine and unharmed and he focused, warping through space and time to appear by her side.

"Father?" Eikyu cried in surprise and Black instantly noticed her eyes were red-rimmed and teary. "But…how? They said you couldn't escape."

"They underestimated me, like they always have," Black responded. "Where's your mother?"

The hybrid looked downcast. "Mira…absorbed her…said she was a failure…I tried to fight him, but I couldn't…he's too strong."

Black looked towards the ceiling. "They've gathered on the rooftop, haven't they? Using the Dragonballs?"

"They have…Father, what do we do?"

"You let me handle this, child; I will get your mother back."

He blasted through the walls of the fortress and entered the sky – Dark Shenron paid him no attention, focused as he was on the wish, while the Demons looked at him, all in shock.

"Impossible," Shroom murmured.

"See, this is why we should've killed him when we had the chance," Demigra growled, but Black ignored him, his eyes on Mira; the Demon Android simply smirked and motioned to his brilliant new form.

"Did you really think banishing me would work?" Black sneered. "Fools; let me show you why that will be a costly mistake."

"Kill him!" Demigra ordered. "Kill him now!"

Black shouted and transformed into Super Saiyan Rosé; Shroom was the first to strike, slashing with his demonic scythe – Black blocked with the Rosé-blade and punched him away, just as Gravy swung his hammer. Black hit the Demon with a Sudden Death Beam, elbowed the charging Dabura in the jaw, kicked Salsa in the gut and backhanded Putine – Mira hammered him with a left hook.

"You're outmatched, Goku Black," the Demon Android sneered. "You cannot hope to fight us all and win; the wish will be completed and Mechikabura will be restored to his full power; you've lost."

"Not while I still draw breath…now give me back Towa!"

"If you want her, come and claim her; she's mine now."

Black snarled and shot a Power Ball – Mira swatted it aside. The Demons moved at once, but Black vanished out of their reach and pointed at Shroom. "I made a promise to kill you first."

"All I have to do is hit you with my scythe and you're done for," Shroom retorted.

"Yes, your scythe…I have one of my own…let me show you."

Black reduced the Rosé-blade to the Aura Slide – and plunged it in his left palm – the Demons recoiled in horror, as Black roared, using the self-inflicted pain to fuel his rage, drawing the blade out of his palm – and created the Sickle of Sorrow. He smirked as he flourished his new weapon.

"What the hell is that?" the Death God cried.

"You have to understand that a Saiyan's strength can be fuelled by rage, primitive and unrefined as that may be, but I wear the body of a Saiyan and my rage runs deeper than anything you could fathom," Black explained. "The rage I feel at your kind polluting the universe, the rage I have for letting you get the upper hand on me, the rage I wield at you taking Towa from me. Now, feel my wrath, mortal!"

Before Shroom could do anything or even blink, Black was upon him, spinning like a tornado with the Sickle; Shroom gasped, pink lines of energy appearing on his body and Black twirled with a flourish and ripped the Sickle upwards – the Death God split apart into several cubed-sized pieces.

"I told you I would kill you first," Black commented.

The Demons unleashed their energy blasts at once in an attempt to overwhelm him; Black used the Sickle to cleave through them and moved to Salsa. The Demon slashed with his sword and Black humoured him, clashing blades together as he twirled dramatically with his counters – that lasted for a moment before Black swiftly shot forth with a wide sweep of his scythe; he appeared behind Salsa, who let out a final squeak of surprise before his upper body slid away from his lower half.

"Two down."

Dabura lunged with his Hell Sword – Black reduced the Sickle to the Rosé-blade to deflect the strike; the Demon King quickly found himself on the defensive, his heart racing in panic as he sought to survive – just one wrong move could spell his end and Black knew it. Gravy launched a black lightning bolt from his hammer – Black vanished and kicked him from behind. Putine unleashed a wave of giant icicles and Black retaliated with the Super Rosé Kamehameha – Putine narrowly avoided the beam when it annihilated her icicles, but only just.

Demigra knew they were outmatched – two Demons Gods had already been slain and the wish was still not complete. Desperate times called for desperate measures and with no other choice, he absorbed his staff into his body, transforming into a Giant Demon God. Black sneered at the new form and fended off Dabura's sneak attack with ease – the Demon King spat at his opponent, but Black avoided the saliva – Demigra's fist slammed into him.

"You get that one for free," Black commented. "The next one will cost you."

"I will destroy you!" Demigra snarled.

"Heh, I like to see you try."

Demigra roared and swung – Black touched his forehead with two fingers and vanished – Gravy gagged, a spray of blood exiting his mouth after Black had impaled him through the throat from behind. The Saiyan-Kai then beheaded the Demon God and kicked his head at Demigra, who swatted it aside, only to get stabbed in the chest as a result.

"We cannot stop him," Putine whispered in horror and she looked to Dark Shenron. "Please hurry."

Dabura breathed the Evil Flame; Black sucker-punched him. He blasted the Demon King in the gut and narrowly dodged Demigra's huge fist; he grabbed Demigra's arm and hurled him away. All the while, Mira sat back, content to watch the battle; as much as he wanted to join, he felt a greater need to fight Black one-on-one in order to prove his superiority – ganging up on Black to defeat didn't sit right with him…it would prove nothing.

Black crossed blades with Dabura, dancing flamboyantly with his strikes and parries as he pressured the Demon King – Dabura spat and Black deflected it – Dabura roared and brought his sword down overhead – Black impaled him through the chest and the Rosé-blade transformed into the Sickle of Sorrow. The scythe glowed with energy and Black ripped it away, the energy bisecting Dabura.

Putine realised her folly; she'd returned to assist the Demons with the Dragonballs, but she had no desire to die at Black's hands…not when she could be elsewhere with someone else, away from all the fighting. Death was the only guarantee right now – Black locked eyes with her, her heartbeat skyrocketed and she made her decision – she vanished. Black shrugged and narrowly avoided Demigra's Boiling Ball.

The transformed Demon Wizard used his Energy Cannon technique; Black did the Instant Transmission to avoid the final three large projectiles when they chased him and he slashed the Sickle at Demigra – he escaped the blow via Energy Boil, reappearing some distance away and began preparing the Boiling Burg. The various pillars of dark energy chased after Black; he slashed the air with the Sickle, creating a rip in the fabric of reality – the pillars were drawn into the rip and vanished within the unknown dimension, leaving Demigra surprised and Black smirking.

"Do you finally understand the imbalance between us?" he stated. "You can take on godly power, transform as much as you want, it will never compare to my strength. Your end is now, mortal!"

Black shot past the stunned Demigra, grabbed his tail and spun him around like he was doing a hammer throw; Black launched Demigra into the sky and pursued, blasting his midsection with a vicious barrage of punches, lifting him higher with each blow – Demigra was helpless against the assault. With a final punch, Black teleported above Demigra and smashed him into the ground with an energised punch. The Demon Wizard groaned and he looked up, as Black charged two huge orbs of energy in his hands and dived, ramming them into Demigra's face. The Demon Wizard screamed from the agony of the Super Dragon Twin Fists; the energy ruptured into a massive explosion that obliterated his body, leaving Black as the victor – he faced Mira.

"Not the order I promised, but it's fitting that I save you for last," Black commented. "Absorbing Towa won't help you win this fight."

Mira uncrossed his arms. "Are you sure about that? This power I wield is yet to be truly tested and I believe you are the perfect subject – after all, your daughter is too weak."

Black snarled, flared his aura, and lunged – his fist slammed against Mira's forearm. The Demon Android smirked and fired a ki blast – Black avoided it and slashed wide with the Rosé-blade – Mira vanished into the Peeler Storm manoeuvre, leaving Black confounded until the razor-sharp energy discs ripped into his body. He screamed, but bit it off to focus on the pain instead – he countered with a Break Strike and Mira reappeared; Black struck him with a Super God Fist. Mira responded with a swift blow to Black's stomach and a second to his face – Black spun through the air and he engaged the Rosé-blade.

He began the Divine Lasso – Mira flew unharmed through the swarm of energy spears and he struck Black hard enough to make him spit blood – Black responded in kind with a blow of his own and the pair unleashed a flurry of strikes as each other as they ascended into the sky, the force of their punches taking chunks out of the fortress. Mira kneed Black and kicked him away – Black fired the Super Rosé Kamehameha and the Demon Android countered with the Galick Beam Cannon. The two beams struggled to overcome the other in the clash; Mira yelled as he tapped deeper into Towa's divine power and overwhelmed the Kamehameha, forcing Black to divert – Mira was stronger than he realised, especially with Towa's divine power at his disposal.

It was in this moment that Black understood something – just how much Towa meant to him. All he could think about was getting her out of Mira, which meant he had to be careful in this fight; he simply couldn't destroy Mira outright. The simple thought of her being used as fuel for the Demon Android's immense power infuriated him to no end – Mira had no right to use Towa like that, and such a blasphemous transgression deserved only a single outcome. At the same time, Black couldn't bear the thought of losing the Time Witch and he began strategizing on how to separate the pair; just having her within Mira's body caused an ache in Black's chest, something he thought impossible, and he knew then and there, without a shadow of a doubt, he wanted Towa.

It was as clear as daylight.

Black glanced at Dark Shenron and noticed Mechikabura had begun to glow; the longer the fight went on against Mira, the more time Dark Shenron had to finish the spell. He spotted the bound Baby and he fired a Power Ball at Dark Shenron – Mira teleported and knocked it away in time, but it was a diversion; Black warped to Baby and broke the cuffs with the Rosé-blade.

"Stop the wish," Black demanded, just as Mira slammed into him with an Android Kick.

Baby nodded and blasted Mechikabura with the Big Bang Attack; the Demon Emperor was caught by surprise as he was enthralled by the wish taking hold of him, but was otherwise unharmed.

"You will not stop us," Mira growled at Black. "I won't allow it…I will not allow your survival!"

He unleashed the Marbling Drop and Black was put to the test in avoiding the massive energy spheres – several came too close for his liking and he ended up flying out of range – Mira appeared behind him and smashed him into the ground with a double-axe-handle blow. Black shot back into the sky, threw his hands up, and unleashed multiple Power Balls that rained down in a hailstorm-like fashion – Mira erected a barrier against the barrage and tapped deeper into his absorbed power. He vanished into the Peeler Storm again, but Black was prepared this time, using the Break Strike to protect himself against the lethal energy.

They flew at each other and caught each other's punch with their free hand, entering a stalemate – Mira increased his power as he fully utilised Towa's power and he bent Black's fingers back – Black tried to pull free, to no avail, and Mira kicked him away and nailed him with a Death Beam. Black hissed, his chest stinging from the impact, but he swallowed the pain and converted it – Mira blasted him with a Perfect Shot and Black was hurled across the sky.

"You cannot have her, Black," Mira taunted. "Towa is mine now, forever and always; it's not like you wanted her in the first place, taking what you wanted from her like a filthy Saiyan. She was mine first and now, she will remain mine; there's nothing you can do about it."

"Shall we test that theory?" Black suggested.

He engaged the Rosé-blade; Mira caught him with the Rage Saucer, smashing him with rapid movement and physical attacks. Black snarled and slashed wide – Mira leapt out of range with a smirk and tossed out the Murder Grenade. As Black protected himself against the minor explosion, Mira invaded his personal space and fired the Weekend at point-blank range into Black's torso. Black yelled as the twin energy beams carried him across the sky, punching into his gut – he managed to roll off the beams, but his torso ached from the impact; it even felt like he'd been burnt.

This fight was dragging out longer than Black would like – he didn't know how much time he had left, but he couldn't engage Mechikabura until he'd dealt with Mira and saved Towa, but it was proving harder than he wanted. There was only one other option left.

"Nice attacks you have going for you," Black commented. "However, I think it's time I showed you my bag of tricks. Are you ready for the Kaio-ken?"

"The Kaio-what?" Mira queried.

"KAIO-KEN!"

The brilliant red aura engulfed Black, doubling atop his Rosé aura and he blasted at Mira and caught him with a vicious right hook. Mira was thrown and he failed to stop the next blow sinking into his stomach. He snarled and managed to deck Black – he slammed his knee into Mira's jaw. It still wasn't enough, Black knew as he traded even blows with the Demon Android; he had to kick it up a notch, but he'd never tested it this far. However, now was not the time to be concerned about the outcome, he knew – after all, he was a god…he figured he could endure the aftermath.

"KAIO-KEN TIMES TEN!"

"What?! NO!" Mira bellowed, but it was too late as Black's dual auras increased substantially.

Black rocked him with a Super God Fist – Mira soared through the air – Black struck him from behind – Mira was in a daze as Black appeared before him, hands cupped to the side – Mira's eyes went wide with horror as the Super Rosé Kamehameha bore down upon him with frightening speed – the power was simply unbelievable – Mira screamed, the super-powered energy wave washing over him and he screamed for what felt like an eternity to him until the attack ended and he was left in a daze, too shocked to comprehend that he'd managed to survive; Black had held back at the last moment, lest he accidentally killed Towa in the process.

"It's time to end this, Mira," Black growled. "It's been fun while it lasted, but your time has come to an end, you insolent thorn in my side. Dragon Fist!"

The supercharged spectral dragon of pink, ruby, and purple ploughed straight through Mira's abdomen, reminiscent of their duel on Namek; exiting via his back, the dragon spiralled into the sky, looping through the air with its impressive length, its coils undulating with energy. The dragon roared and dived at the paralysed and horrified Mira, who couldn't do anything but scream in terror as the dragon clamped its jaws on his upper body and detonated in a cataclysmic explosion that thoroughly annihilated the Demon Android – Black tumbled through the bottom of the mushroom cloud, Towa tucked safely in his arms. He landed on the ground, resuming his base form as he looked at the Time Witch – she was alive, but unconscious, and he cupped her cheek, thankful she was okay.

Black teleported to Eikyu's side, surprising her, and he brought her back to Towa. "Mom!" the hybrid cried, falling beside her; Towa shuddered, but otherwise didn't respond and Eikyu looked at her father. "Is she going to be okay?"

"She will be fine," Black replied.

"Your wish has been granted," Dark Shenron boomed, catching the Saiyan-Kai's attention.

"Fuck! Eikyu, take care of your mother – I have business that needs finishing."

Eikyu nodded and took her mother into her arms. Black flew to the rooftop of the fortress, just as Mechikabura tossed the battered and bloodied Baby aside like he was rubbish – Dark Shenron vanished and the Dark Dragonballs scattered across the sky. The wish took hold and Mechikabura smirked as he was enveloped with light – Black shot at him, but the light faded, revealing the Demon Emperor restored to his youthful prime – and with one finger, he stopped Black's Aura Slide cold.

"My, my," Mechikabura mused with a wry smirk. "Isn't this going to be interesting?"


	24. Fall of Black

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, favourites, and follows; this chapter marks the finale - the next one will be the last. I do hope you all enjoy it; I have my doubts on the quality, as I usually do on most things I do, so I do apologise in advance.

* * *

His power was unfathomable.

It could not be possible for someone to have such incalculable power.

For the first time in his life, Black was afraid. He felt fear chilling in his veins at the sight of the Demon Emperor's smirk and the feel of his immense energy.

Mechikabura jabbed his finger against Black's chest – and sent him flying. He took a moment to look at his hands, to bask in the rejuvenation of his body and his restoration to his youth – it had been so, so long since he had this power at his disposal…the possibilities of what he could do now…with his mere power alone, he could easily break the seal on the Demon Realm and restore his home.

Black got up, his body aching from the simple impact and with a shout, he transformed into Super Saiyan God; he had to be careful to converse his energy given his recent battles with the Demon Gods, but he also couldn't afford to take it easy against the Demon Emperor – he knew he was already out of his league. Black flew at Mechikabura, who seemed preoccupied with his youthful hands, and let loose with a fierce punch – the Demon Emperor was unaffected and took no notice. Incensed at being ignored, Black unleashed a volley of blows upon Mechikabura – the Demon Emperor continued to stare at his hands, utterly unfazed by the assault against his self. Black yelled, hurling one last punch – Mechikabura swatted him and the power in the blow blasted Black across the sky – and left him bleeding from his mouth.

Black wiped the blood away with a shaky hand – that had been a casual swat, without the full strength behind it, like the Demon Emperor had swiped at an irritating fly – the concept of Mechikabura's unbridled strength terrified Black; how could there be a mortal like him with such immense power? He made Broly look almost like a baby in comparison; Black found he would rather fight Broly alone than try and battle the Demon Emperor, but he had no choice if he didn't want the Demon Realm revived – looking at the ruined Baby, he feared that Vegetto wouldn't be enough.

Black fired the Kamehameha and it washed over the Demon Emperor – when the attack ended, Mechikabura was calmly inspecting his fingernails; not even a strand of hair was out of place. Finally, Mechikabura tucked his hands behind his back, rose into the sky, and faced Black.

"Shall we begin?"

Damn him! The audacity!

That said, Black recognised the tactic and he refused to fall for it, even as Mechikabura made a 'come here' motion with his hand. Following a deep breath to maintain his composure, Black shot at the Demon Emperor and unloaded with his fists – Mechikabura calmly blocked every single blow with ease. He smirked and his hand shot forth with blinding speed, his fingertips resting at Black's throat, stopping the Saiyan-Kai dead in his tracks; Black was afraid to even swallow.

"Are you finally learning your place, young one?" the Demon Emperor questioned.

Black shoved his hand aside and fired a Power Ball into his face – Mechikabura made a face, as if he was more amused than anything else.

" _I can't even faze him!"_ Black thought in horror. _"How can I beat him when nothing works?"_

"I don't know why you're fighting me, Goku Black; we are both kindred spirits."

"We are nothing alike!" Black snarled furiously.

"No? Are we both not Core People? Do we not have the same goals? We are both gods, Zamasu, and we both want to purify the universe from the corruption that infests it."

"I am not Zamasu, not anymore."

"Yes, I realise that," Mechikabura shrugged. "You've forsaken your divine body for a barbaric mortal; ironic that you still continue to believe yourself as a god despite such a sacrilegious act. I suppose I can overlook that in regards to our alliance."

"I will not fall in with you, Demon!"

"Why not? It wouldn't be the first time you've 'fallen' in with a Demon."

Black growled and surged forth and slashed with the Aura Slide; Mechikabura vanished and Black felt the Demon Emperor's fist touch the side of his face, leaving him with a horrified expression.

"Has it dawned on you yet that you are a mere plaything for my amusement?" Mechikabura inquired with a casual tone like he was commenting on the weather. "You cannot fight me and hope to win; your only choice is to submit to me or perish."

"I'd rather die than join you!" Black snarled as he whirled around with a wide slash.

Mechikabura deflected the blow and effortlessly dodged every single slash and strike that Black threw at him, inspecting his fingernails in the process. Infuriated by the disrespect, Black hurled a Power Ball – Mechikabura casually swatted it aside and tossed out a kiai that blasted the Saiyan-Kai backwards.

" _Fine. Let's kick it up a notch,"_ Black thought, his chest in pain from the kiai, and he yelled and ascended to Super Saiyan Rosé.

He started with Divine Retribution, hoping to catch the Demon Emperor off-guard; Mechikabura held his hands up and the Rosé-blade was stopped inches from his face by an unseen force; Black frowned in confusion, as an ōdachi of pure blue ki materialised in Mechikabura's hands, revealing itself as the unseen force. With a tiny quirk of his lips, Mechikabura flung Black into the air with a wide sweep of his ki ōdachi – Black had zero time to recover before Mechikabura was upon him with grandiose slashes that he was barely able to block.

The Demon Emperor knocked Black flying with another wide sweep and raised his free hand, triggering an explosion at Black's location. He frowned and whirled around – the Super Rosé Kamehameha slammed into him and he held it off with one hand. Black suddenly appeared at the end of the beam, the surprising manoeuvre leaving Mechikabura open to a fist to the gut and a roar of 'Dragon Fist!'

Propelled on the energy dragon, Mechikabura summoned his ōdachi, flipped upside down and sliced the dragon in half, destroying it; Black was stunned by the reversal – he honestly thought he had the Demon Emperor caught and done for – Mechikabura was simply on a whole different level that Black realised he had no hope of catching up to.

"That was quite crafty of you, Goku Black," Mechikabura commented. "I will be honest; I was not expecting such an innovative technique like that. However, for your sake, I do hope that was not the peak of your repertoire – it is quite bothersome for me to find entertaining toys…they tend to break too easily."

Black went on the offensive with a Sudden Death Beam; Mechikabura didn't even bother turning around – he flipped his ōdachi behind his back to block the ki blast and then whirled as the ōdachi glowed, launching a crescent blade of energy – Black watched a few pink hairs drift past his eyes, horror-struck at the speed and power of the technique – Mechikabura was playing with him, for he could have easily been killed right then and there. Refusing to submit to the Demon Emperor's might, Black launched into the Divine Lasso – Mechikabura smirked and spun his ōdachi like a plane's propeller, snatching up the energy spears; he transferred his power into the projectiles, converting them from pink to blue and with a flick of his wrist, he hurled the spears at Black, impaling him with his own attack – Black yelled, Mechikabura mimicked the final pose, and the spears detonated.

"You are merely delaying the inevitable, Goku Black," the Demon Emperor remarked as Black tumbled from the smoke cloud. "I offer you a place at my side as we purge the multiverse of the corruption that pollutes it; you know I speak of the mortals that the gods created and left to their own devices. Zeno and the angels will also suffer for turning a blind eye to the defilement of the multiverse – to achieve that goal, I need to break the seal on the Demon Realm."

"You talk of purifying the multiverse, but fail to realise that freeing the Demon Realm will destroy it beyond salvation," Black said. "You can't possibly wield this much power and still be blind to the repercussions of your actions. The Demon Realm is a place of twisted perversion and must remain sealed for the sake of the multiverse."

"Well, it appears we have differing opinions on how we can save the multiverse. That is a shame; I thought as a former fellow Supreme Kai, you would understand the action I need to take."

"You are not a Supreme Kai-!"

"I was…millions and millions of years ago, I was a North Supreme Kai," Mechikabura stated. "I didn't believe in the rule of inaction that was imposed upon the Kais, to only observe and never interfere. Why should we gods cater to the mortals? So, I took matters into my own hands…I created –"

"KAIO-KEN TIMES TEN!"

Mechikabura sighed as Black surged towards him. "The young and the foolish simply have no respect for their elders." He stopped Black's fist with his palm; Black stabbed, but Mechikabura deflected the Rosé-blade and slashed downwards – cloth ripped and blood trickled into the frayed edges.

In desperation, Black recreated the Sickle of Sorrow and launched an energy wave from the blade – Mechikabura inclined his body out of the way – the energy wave sliced through the fabric of reality and a number of clones of Black were spawned from the tear – the real Black smirked; he still had no real idea on how he was able to do this, but perhaps now he could overwhelm the Demon Emperor. The clones moved for Mechikabura as one, all brandishing their own Rosé-blades – the Demon Emperor blocked with the ōdachi and with one single revolution, he sliced through all of the clones, dispersing them into smoke. The clones reformed and proceeded to attack one after the other – Mechikabura defended against their strikes, easily holding his own – the real Black swiped with the Sickle, but Mechikabura parried his attack and cut down a clone, who reformed once more.

One clone began the Divine Lasso, another prepared the Super Rosé Kamehameha - deflecting the javelins, Mechikabura launched an energy wave of his own from the ōdachi – it crashed into the rip created by Black and neutralised it, instantly eliminating all of the clones – Black swiped again with the Sickle, Mechikabura parried, reverse-gripped the ōdachi and struck Black in the solar plexus with the butt of the ki weapon, winding him. He then struck Black with a kiai, followed by another and another, pushing the body thief across the sky with the pummelling. Black flared his dual auras and broke out of the kiai stream, used Instant Transmission – Mechikabura caught his attack with the ōdachi, locked the blades together so Black couldn't break free, and placed his hand against Black's jugular, teasing him once more.

"You are an ant trying to fight the sun," the Demon Emperor stated lightly. "I will give you one last chance to join me; refuse and I will destroy you."

"Fuck you!" Black snarled.

The Sickle became the Rosé-blade and the Saiyan-Kai launched into a furious offensive; Mechikabura casually blocked or dodged every slash with an amused smirk. He allowed Black to hold the offensive for a moment before he decided to counterattack – before long, Black quickly found himself stressed to fend off the Demon Emperor's ki blade and he fired a Power Ball. Mechikabura sliced it in half, blocked Black's blade and sent him flying with a single swing; he cut a line in reality and discharged a multitude of sharp glass-like shards – Black yelled when he was pierced by the vicious onslaught and he teleported out of the way – Mechikabura spun around and Black yelled again, the ōdachi piercing his left shoulder. The Demon Emperor lifted him up higher upon the ki blade, inspecting him.

"This body of yours in quite impressive, given the near-limitless potential of the Saiyan race, but even they have their limitations; push yourself all you like, Goku Black, you'll never reach me."

He tore the ōdachi away and finally struck Black with a full-force punch to his chest – Black's eyes went blank and blood flew from his mouth from the sheer force contained within the blow. His heart seized for a moment due to the impact and everything else went 'offline' for the briefest of moments – to Black, it felt like an eternity of agony before he finally came to. His vision was blurry and his mind was shadowy as he disjointedly tried to avoid the ōdachi to little success – Mechikabura continued to apply the pressure, pushing Black to his limits with every nick to his body. The Demon Emperor closed the gap and landed a blow to Black's jaw, making his head spin and leaving his mind ragged – disoriented, his body tried to fight back, acting on instinct, but with the disconnect between body and mind, he fought a losing battle, and Mechikabura caught him with a backhand. Black lunged with a stab – Mechikabura dodged and sliced his back and struck him with a kiai, adding pain to the injury.

A scream couldn't even escape Black's mouth he was in that much agony and he reverted to normal.

"Embrace death, Goku Black, for that is all you will receive," the Demon Emperor said.

"No," Black slurred, blood dribbling down his chin as he fought to clear his mind and overcome the pain. He had to endure, he had to win; a realisation came to him. "I have one last trick to use…it'll take me some time…but it's all I have."

"Hm, very well, you have my interest. Go ahead, take all the time you need…your end comes when your last trick fails."

Black wiped the blood from his lips and rose into the sky, raising his hands. "I call upon all the life on this planet to give me your energy so I can end the threat of the Demon Emperor for good."

Spiritual energy from the grass, the mountains, the oceans, the surviving wildlife, anything and everything that could give the energy – fuck it, even the sun, because Black was desperate – it all flowed to Black's hands, forming into a red sphere that swelled with every addition. Mechikabura watched on, intrigued by the Super Spirit Bomb – Black continued to draw in energy, mainly from the sun once he gained all he could from Earth, and the Spirit Bomb grew to an immense size.

The Spirit Bomb reached completion and Black grinned. "Here, take this!" he cried as he hurled it.

The Spirit Bomb descended towards Mechikabura, bearing down upon him – he held out a hand and stopped it dead in its tracks, surprising the fuck out of Black – that was his last resort and if the Demon Emperor could stop that, then Black was truly done for. In response, he transformed to Super Saiyan Rosé, hoping the transformation could catch the Demon Emperor off-guard – to no avail; Mechikabura still managed to hold the gargantuan sphere at bay. He was impressed by the power contained within the gigantic energy sphere and he splayed his other hand – and launched it back at Black.

"Nononono," Black chanted in horror. "KAIO-KEN TIMES TWENTY!"

His dual auras burst out dramatically and while the power increase briefly halted the Spirit Bomb, pushing himself beyond his limits still wasn't enough – Mechikabura overwhelmed him and the Saiyan-Kai was too stunned by the reversal of his technique to do anything to stop the Spirit Bomb as it engulfed him – he had reached his limits and had simply been defeated by a stronger adversary – no, he needed to keep fighting! – Mechikabura exerted his influence and detonated the Spirit Bomb in a colossal explosion that devastated the landscape; the blast radius tore the Demon fortress to chunks and ripped a massive crater that plunged deep into the Earth's underground. Lava roiled within the depths of the crater as if angered by the detonation and the planet itself shook from the sudden cataclysmic destruction it suffered.

"And that takes care of the rubbish," the Demon Emperor applauded himself. "What a disappointment."

Towa stood mouth agape in shock at the devastation wrought by Black's demise; she had heard of her grandfather's immense power, but to witness it in such dominating fashion was entirely different. She didn't know whether to be amazed at Mechikabura's impressive power…or saddened by Black's death; there was a noticeable pang in her chest, one she tried not to dwell too much on, afraid of what that could mean to her…of what Black meant to her. As the Demon Emperor slowly descended, Towa regained her composure, ready to do whatever he asked of her – the Demon Realm was so close to being revived and the thought made her jittery with excitement, pushing all thoughts of Black to the side.

There was an explosion of power beside her and before Towa could react, Super Demon Goddess Eikyu launched at Mechikabura – he casually blocked her Aura Slide with a single finger.

"I understand that you are grief-stricken with the loss of your father, young one, but eradication of the insolent is a necessary act for our might to persevere," he spoke; Eikyu lashed out with a kick that he dodged and she slashed again; he parried, making her lose her balance in the process. "Your father was, unfortunately, a fool, Eikyu; he couldn't see the big picture. Luckily for you, you have a greater role to play in the restoration of the Demon Realm."

"I don't give a fuck about the Demon Realm," the hybrid growled.

"Eikyu, enough of this! Stop it!" Towa shouted.

"Let her get her anger out, Towa," Mechikabura replied as he caught Eikyu in a reverse choke-hold. "Soon, she will understand."

The crater rumbled.

Mechikabura frowned and released Eikyu.

Rocks tumbled within the crater, shaken loose by the quake; the lava boiled furiously and a huge beam of energy was blasted into the sky. Mechikabura summoned the ōdachi, amazed and confused at the energy he felt within the beam – but it couldn't be…he felt the energy in that Spirit Bomb…it was impossible that someone could've survive –

A silhouette ascended from the crater, full of radiant power – it was unmistakable from the hairstyle – Goku Black was alive. Mechikabura harrumphed in annoyance, until Black sternly looked at him – his eyes silver. An aura erupted around him, composed of silver energy with flickers of red and dark purple – the heat that radiated from the aura could easily be felt at this distance, flowing with intensity.

"No," the Demon Emperor whispered, half-surprised, half-worried. "No, it's not possible."

Black didn't even blink – suddenly, he was nose-to-nose to Mechikabura; the Demon Emperor gasped, astounded by the speed; he quickly overcame his shock and began with a left hook – Black was behind him. Mechikabura spun and slashed – Black was above him. The Demon Emperor launched a ki blast – Black was in front of him while upside-down, invading his personal space.

"What? What is that?" Towa wondered in stunned amazement. "He's keeping up with Mechikabura – what is that power? Wait…surely, it can't be…no, that's not possible…"

Even Eikyu was confounded at the strange power her father possessed.

Mechikabura teleported away from Black, launching crescent-shaped energy blades at his opponent; Black weaved around them, appeared behind Mechikabura – and slammed a punch against his lower back – a silent scream left Mechikabura's mouth.

" _No, it can't be possible! There is no way he has discovered Ultra Instinct! There's no way!"_ the Demon Emperor thought in horror.

His lower back throbbed and he whirled, azure flames leaping from the ōdachi – Black flipped overhead, his knee loomed in Mechikabura's vision – the Demon Emperor blocked the blow with the flat of his blade and something finally flickered in Black's resolute silver eyes.

" _Ah…it is indeed Ultra Instinct, but it's incomplete. He can dodge, but he's still thinking about his attacks. I can work this to my advantage."_

Mechikabura pushed against Black and began rapidly slashing cuts into the fabric of reality – Black dodged every slice, until all the rips spewed the Dimension Ray from all angles – Black was able to avoid every single shard and Mechikabura surged forth, his blade aimed for Black's heart, hoping to catch him by surprise – Black vanished.

"Kame-" Mechikabura turned around as Black flew at him, charging the signature energy wave. He fired several energy blasts, but Black evaded every single one. "-hame-" Mechikabura waited until the last moment and just as Black fell upon him, he unleashed a huge energy wave from his hand. "-HA!"

The Demon Emperor looked up, saw Black above him, saw the Super Black Kamehameha descend, and could only scream as he was devoured by the powerful wave. Black hovered, waiting for the outcome – the smoke cleared and the battered Mechikabura remained – alive, but finally injured.

" _No…I will not be defeated by a lesser being who thinks he can surpass the gods! Only I can be stronger than them and I will not allow this shmuck to best me!"_

Black moved – the Aura Slide struck Mechikabura – it'd been merely an illusion – the real Demon Emperor grabbed Eikyu, still in her Super Demon Goddess form, and he smirked as he absorbed her into his body – she struggled futilely, her power no match for him – making her part of him and integrating her power into his own.

"Eikyu…no," Towa gasped in horror.

Mechikabura roared with laughter as his body glowed and with Eikyu's hybrid divine power, he transformed into his perfected state – he caught Black's fist with his hand, withstanding the force of the blow; he smirked and tossed Black into the air. The ōdachi appeared and Mechikabura hurled energy wave after energy wave off the blade; Black evaded each one, but the sheer speed of their firing rate and the velocity they travelled put his immense new power to the test – Mechikabura had gained the upper hand once more, easily keeping Black at bay – a ki blast hit the Dark King and he paused, facing Demon Goddess Towa – Black charged. Mechikabura parried his strike, feeling the rage within his silent form, and created an explosive wave with his ōdachi, blasting Black away.

"Towa…I'm disappointed, child," Mechikabura spoke. "Do you not understand the importance of your daughter's role in reviving the Demon Realm? This is what she was meant for, since the day she was born…why fight against it?"

"I would've done anything to restore the Demon Realm, no matter the cost, even if it meant sacrificing my daughter…but now I've come to the conclusion that I could never do that to Eikyu," Towa responded. "She is my daughter; I don't care what you had in mind for her, but I cannot support your decision...I want her back."

"Ah, you're blinded by love…how unfortunate."

Dark energy materialised in his free hand at a rapid rate, forming into a large sphere, and he hurled the powerful blast at Towa – Black appeared before her and stopped the ki sphere with both hands, easily holding it at bay – the power of the incomplete Ultra Instinct vanished, draining Black of his energy and reverting him to his base form. He fell away from the sphere, exhausted, and Towa grabbed him, just as Mechikabura detonated the sphere with a mighty explosion. When the dust cleared, there was not a single trace of Black and Towa to be found.

-X-

Black startled awake, his breathing rapid even though there was a sense of refreshing calm coursing through him – he realised he was bathed in Towa's Energy Zone; he laid back and allowed her to work her magic, restoring him to full health. When the Zone closed, Towa leaned back on her haunches and looked at him – it took him a moment to notice.

"What?"

"What was that power?" she asked softly.

Black shrugged. "I honestly have no idea…it was like I was in a dream…I could see what I was doing, but I wasn't in control…like I was fighting on pure instinct. Truth be told, I should be dead…I don't know how I managed to survive…perhaps my will to persevere and keep fighting is what kept me alive…but all I know is that I have no idea how to tap into that unknown power again."

"It's called Ultra Instinct…Goku used it in the past…it is a terrifying technique that enables one to surpass the gods in terms of power…you are the second person to ever achieve it in history."

"Hm, it makes sense, given my host body," Black said as he sat up. Taking a look at their surroundings, he noted that they were on the Sacred World of the Kais; he wondered how Towa could find her way here and why she would choose this planet, but figured it didn't matter; they were alive…for now. "If I can reach it again, it might give me the edge I need to take down Mechikabura…and rescue Eikyu." He looked at Towa. "Are you okay with me killing your revered grandfather and putting a stop to your ambitions?"

Towa bit her lower lip in contemplation. "He's stolen our daughter from us and attempted to have us killed…it's funny, like I said, I would've done anything for Mechikabura…but when I first held Eikyu in my arms, I knew I couldn't give her up for him, regardless of what he wanted from her. All I ever wanted was to revive the Demon Realm, but I never wanted to sacrifice Eikyu to make that happen…if you can kill him, then go ahead…I still want to free the Demon Realm."

Black shook his head. "That I cannot allow…even in my Universe, I learnt about the dangers of the Demon Realm if it were to be restored…my only offer is that it remains sealed, unless you truly wish to destroy the entire universe."

"And how do you know it'll destroy the universe…the Demon Realm will replace it and it'll be beautiful."

"Why take that chance when we can claim this universe once Mechikabura is dead?"

Towa raised an eyebrow at him. "You really want to do that? Have me, a mortal, by your side?"

"I realise that it goes against everything I've stood for since I first switched bodies with Goku and in saying that, I will never stop purging mortals from the multiverse, but since you've birthed my divine child, I can make an exception for you; at least together, we can make this universe our paradise."

"Hm, and you won't turn on me in the end, because for your dream to be fully realised, every single mortal must be killed, which includes me."

"We can compromise: I let you live and reside with me in our utopia with our daughter and you give up reviving the Demon Realm. That way, our dreams will never be fully realised, but at least we can co-exist and make something of it…the choice is yours, Towa."

In all honesty, who else could say they managed to get a mass-murdering god to spare them in exchange for ruling beside them whilst giving up their lifelong dream? Especially a god with such extreme views like Goku Black? It certainly wasn't because of love that he was sparing her and she had no love for him (there was some kind of mild affection, especially in the wake of him freeing her from Mira), but there was something between them she could acknowledge, and with his offer, it put her on a near-equal footing with him…she'd be quite the fool to turn it down.

"Ooh, you drive a hard bargain, Black; I don't like the idea of relinquishing my lifelong dream, but I'm no fool; I can see the benefit of our mutual relationship. I accept," Towa replied and she sobered. "Can we really kill Mechikabura? His power is unlike anything I've seen before. Not even a God of Destruction could survive against him."

"I've killed Gods of Destruction before."

"Yes, by slaying their respective Supreme Kai. Hardly counts."

"Fine. We'll play it by ear…see if I can awaken Ultra Instinct again. Now, where would've he'd gone?"

"To the Demon Realm. The seal resides in his castle. It requires a tremendous amount of power to break, so we do have some time. The question is, are you ready?"

Black stood and stretched his arms. No, he wasn't, not after the thrashing he received, but he didn't have time or a choice. It was now or never. "Let's go."

-X-

It felt good to be home.

Mechikabura walked through the halls of his castle, savouring the enjoyment of returning home after so many years. The castle had been built as a sanctuary and to serve as a symbol of his defiance against the decision of the Supreme Kais – after all, the seal that kept the Demon Realm locked away from the universe was the foundation, residing at the bottom of the castle. With his youth restored and Eikyu's unique hybrid power added to his own, he was confident in the restoration of the Demon Realm; the Dark King felt disappointment at Towa's actions, blinded by sentimentality, and thus could not see the immense role Eikyu had to play…no matter, he rationalised, for he could create true loyal servants once the seal was broken.

Kneeling at the edge of the seal, Mechikabura started the ritual. _"So, it shall begin."_

* * *

A/N: I know Mechikabura doesn't use any weapons, but I felt the need to give him one and based him somewhat on Sephiroth and Vergil.


	25. End of Time

A/N: Final chapter. I want to thank everyone for all your reviews, favourites, and follows with this story; huge shout-outs to MeteorElDrago, MIinoka, and Blazing rage for your support, amongst others. Thank you.

* * *

Despondency clung to the air like a heavy veil; Baby Vegeta trudged through the ruins of his once-glorious citadel, his body in great agony from the beating he'd received from Mechikabura – such power terrified him and after witnessing the Demon Emperor demolish Black, the Tuffle quickly made his escape. He had no idea what he would do now…his empire was annihilated, his allies dead, and he was left alone, virtually waiting for death to come and find him. Any equipment he could use to escape this point in history was destroyed, trapping him here – with a weary sigh, Baby collapsed upon the remnants of his scorched throne, propped his face upon his fist and waited.

He didn't have to wait long.

Baby frowned. "Why won't you die?"

Black's lips twitched. "I wonder that myself, given the times I've cheated death recently. I suppose I simply refuse to let anyone kill me, no matter who they are."

"Mechikabura begs to differ. So, what do you want?"

"Your help, Baby."

The Tuffle snorted. Towa rolled her eyes. "We're wasting our time, Black."

"Your Demons annihilated everything I've worked so hard to build," Baby growled at the Time Witch. "And you're just an asshole who won't damn well die when he should," he tossed at Black. "And you want my help? If it's to fight Mechikabura, you can forget it; I'm not helping."

"Perhaps you're right," Black said to Towa. "He may wear the body of Vegeta, but he possesses none of the Saiyan's pride; just like all Tuffles, he's a coward."

Baby glared at the Saiyan-Kai. "I realise what you're trying to do, Black, but it won't work. He is too strong for all of us…and why the fuck is she wanting to kill him? Aren't they besties?"

"He took my daughter…I want her back," Towa replied.

"That's your problem, not mine. I'm not getting involved. Now piss off."

"If you don't help us, then it will become your problem when the Demon Realm takes over this universe," Black responded.

Baby cackled, his laugh hollow and defeated. "How can we beat him, Black? He is too powerful. I was lucky to escape from him alive."

"I can grant you some of my Demon God power," Towa offered. "It won't be enough, but it should help in the very least."

"Sounds great…and then what? Say we manage to defeat Mechikabura…what happens afterwards? We all go back to trying to kill each other?"

"Aside from Towa and Eikyu, I don't want any mortals present in my utopia," Black said. "But, if you help us, I can spare your life this once."

"I will even provide you with another timeline that you can inhabit…should you survive."

"Ohh, so thoughtful…that gives me great incentive."

Annoyed, Towa strode forth, tapped her staff on the ground and created the Energy Zone around Baby, healing his injuries. In the process, she also transferred a portion of her Demon God power to the Tuffle, enhancing his energy…leaving him surprised.

"There," the Time Witch said. "Is that better?"

"I'm going," Black announced, two fingers to his forehead; Towa claimed his offered hand. "Are you coming or not, Baby?"

"We're going to die anyway," the Tuffle said. "I suppose I'd rather die fighting."

He touched Towa's shoulder and the trio vanished from the ruins of the Tuffle Citadel.

-X-

Everything was complete and all that was needed now was a drop of his blood; Mechikabura nicked his finger and held it over the seal – a teardrop of blood formed and fell towards the seal – a ki blast vaporised the droplet and Mechikabura sighed, rising up from his kneeling position.

"You haven't learnt, have you?" he stated as he faced Black. "Your arrogance is astounding."

"The same could be said about you," Black responded.

"How did you get in here, by the way?" Towa appeared behind her grandfather in her Demon Goddess form and the Dark King smirked. "Of course…Towa…I'm disappointed in you."

"Tell me something new," she retorted.

"You will both die here, while your daughter helps me birth a beautiful new universe."

"Enough talk," Black growled, transforming into Super Saiyan Rosé. "We'll settle this now!"

Mechikabura pondered. "I only need a drop of my blood to unleash the Demon Realm, but I suppose I could spend a few minutes beating you into submission." A ki blast launched out of nowhere – the Dark King casually deflected it and Baby stepped out of the shadows, surrounded in an aura of dark demonic energy. "So, the parasite wishes to die as well…how quaint…very well, we shall get down to business."

Black lunged with the Rosé-blade and Baby fired the Reverse Shot – in the same flowing movement, the Dark King swept Black aside and cut down the magenta ki blasts; he fired an energy wave that Baby barely dodged in time, destroying a wall. Black teleported and slammed a kick to Mechikabura's head – he grabbed Black's leg and hurled him through the ceiling – Black ended up outside the castle and Mechikabura pursued, slashing away with the ōdachi.

"Where's your Ultra Instinct?" the Demon Emperor taunted as they crossed blades.

"Keep pushing me and you'll find out," Black growled, pushing away and landing atop a spire.

"Hmph, you'll be dead before that ever happens."

Baby flew up and fired the Revenge Final Flash – Mechikabura deflected the beam with the flat of his blade and lunged – Black intercepted with the Divine Retribution – Baby joined and launched a Big Bang Attack at point-blank range into Mechikabura's face. The Dark King punched Black away, then grabbed Baby by the throat and drove him into the side of the castle.

"You Tuffles are a cancer upon the universe," he said as he slowly strangled Baby. "There is no place for you here."

Black appeared, driving his knee into Mechikabura's head – the Dark King didn't flinch, but he hurled Baby into Black and blasted them with a dark energy wave. The pair tumbled out of the smoke cloud and together, they flew at the Dark King, unleashing a barrage of blows – Mechikabura dodged or deflected every strike – the Rosé-blade came into play once more and Black moved into Divine Lasso – as Mechikabura repelled the javelins with his ōdachi, Baby moved aside and fired the Galick Gun. The Dark King stopped the energy wave with one hand, eventually dispelling it.

"Your efforts are futile," Mechikabura stated. "There is absolutely no point in you trying to fight me at all; you are bound to lose in the end. Your only option is to embrace your fate."

"Never!" Black cried. "Kaio-ken times twenty!"

The brilliant red aura flared around his Rosé one and he blasted at Mechikabura, unleashing a flurry of slashes; Baby joined in, hurling punches and kicks – Mechikabura weaved around their fists and feet, only blocking when he needed to; the ōdachi glowed with energy and he created a shockwave that blasted the pair away. They charged, the Dark King retreated and he unleashed a huge blade of energy that sliced through the top spire of his castle. The spire tumbled and Mechikabura swiftly slashed the rubble to pieces, sending them towards Black and Baby. The former destroyed the crumbling parts with the Rosé-blade, Baby blasting his way through – Mechikabura suddenly appeared, whipping the ōdachi around dangerously. The Tuffle yelped, a cut appearing on his chest – Black took his place, clashing blades with the Dark King.

"Your end draws near, Goku Black…can you feel it?" Mechikabura smirked as he nonchalantly parried Black's blows. "A new dawn approaches, all thanks to your daughter…you should be proud."

"You will give her back to me!" Black snarled. Nearby, Baby ascended, gathering energy for the Revenge Death Ball.

"No, I don't think so," the Dark King replied and he parried Black's slash and kneed him in the gut, driving the air out of him. "This is the role she was born to play." He elbowed the winded Black on the back and the Saiyan-Kai crashed into the castle.

The Revenge Death Ball wasn't complete, but with Black out, Baby had no other choice or the time and he hurled it – Mechikabura sliced it in half, neutralising the devastating sphere. Baby immediately launched a barrage of ki blasts, hoping to smother Mechikabura with the bombardment – the Dark King appeared behind the unsuspecting Tuffle and ran him through with the ōdachi. Baby choked on his own blood and Mechikabura flicked him off the blade; he smashed through the castle and crash-landed at Black's feet, blood pooling beneath him.

"Get to him," Black told Towa. She nodded – and screamed when the ōdachi exited from her torso. "TOWA!"

Mechikabura tossed the Time Witch off his sword and blocked the Rosé-blade with a savage sneer. "That's two down already, Goku Black; you are all that's left and your death is imminent. I will allow you to die beside Towa, at least, a fitting end for the pair who helped birth the Demon Realm."

"I will destroy you," Black promised.

"Boy, you could never."

He grabbed Black by the hair, tossed him up and fired a stream of energy blades from the ōdachi – Black blocked with his energy blade, but the force of the blows punched him through the wreckage of the castle – Mechikabura appeared behind him and struck with a simple backhand – more of the castle crumbled due to Black's body. The ōdachi vanished and Mechikabura proceeded to bludgeon Black using his full strength, pin-balling him throughout the collapsing castle – Black attempted to fight back, his efforts in vain as the Dark King countered to devastating effect.

" _What is the trigger?"_ Black wondered in desperation, his body bloodied and bruised from Mechikabura's assault. _"How do I obtain Ultra Instinct again?"_

The Dark King fired a ki blast – Black responded with a Warp Rosé Kamehameha – Mechikabura decked him in the gut; as Black recoiled from the pain, the Dark King grabbed him by the hair and drove him into the deepest floor of the castle. Black tried to get up, but Mechikabura stepped on his head and held him down.

"Have you realised the futility of your actions or are you too stubborn to understand?" the Dark King questioned as Black struggled beneath his boot. "My power is so great that only angels can stop me and there are no angels around…what hope do you have against me? You are miniscule, Goku Black, a simple pawn who has played his part and overstayed his welcome. Face it, you've lost; your daughter is mine, and your Tuffle friend and your whore are dead…accept your defeat and I will give you a noble death worthy of a lowly warrior."

"I refuse," Black growled. "I will not surrender to you…I will keep fighting to the very end."

"So be it."

Mechikabura flicked Black into the air with his foot, appeared behind him – and slammed a chop upon Black's neck and instantly rendered the Saiyan-Kai unconscious. His body tumbled towards the ground once more, crashing into a heap – Mechikabura shrugged his shoulders in disappointment as he landed beside Black's prone form and contemplated his next decision: should he kill Black now or should he wake Black so he could witness the revival of the Demon Realm?

Kill him.

The ōdachi appeared and Mechikabura swung it towards Black's skull – a flash of light, a burst of energy, and Black vanished. The Dark King frowned in confusion…and then he felt an intense heat bearing down on his back and he slowly turned around…Black was conscious, his eyes silver once more, surrounded by the silver aura – he surged towards Mechikabura, fist cocked – the Dark King stopped the blow with his palm, although he was surprised by the result. With a grin, Mechikabura reverse-gripped the ōdachi and slashed upwards, creating a wave of azure flames – Black was gone.

" _Where did he go?"_ Mechikabura pondered – Black caught him with a Super God Fist. _"Bastard!"_

He smashed through a wall and quickly caught himself in time to avoid Black's Aura Slide – he slashed, Black vanished, and Mechikabura managed to block his kick. Black bounced off and charged in with a flurry of blows; Mechikabura found himself on the defensive, even though he was able to keep up with Black and block his punches, but he couldn't do much else, and it started to piss him off. He vanished from Black's assault and launched a series of energy waves from the ōdachi – Black weaved around them as he closed in – Mechikabura suddenly appeared and managed a land a blow against Black's chest with the surprise manoeuvre; he opened his hand and unleashed an energy wave that hurled Black across the Demon Realm.

Dimensional slashes emerged around Black, spewing streams of glass-like shards – Black darted away with nimble grace, as more formed around him, and he realised that Mechikabura was trying to restrict his movements; he countered that effort with a Black Kamehameha and the Dark King bisected the wave; Black slammed into him knee first – Mechikabura narrowly parried the strike. He swung the ōdachi and Black deflected with his Aura Slide, setting off a bladed battle.

The force of their blows rocked the entire Demon Realm as they clashed, creating flashes of energy that could be seen for miles. They battled with ferocity, matching each other blow for blow, unable to land a decisive hit – their battle shook the hellish dimension to its very foundations. With each passing millisecond, Mechikabura grew frustrated – he was stronger, yes, but the very nature of Black's Ultra Instinct, seemingly incomplete as it may be, enabled him to evade virtually everything the Dark King threw at him. He needed something, _anything_ , to gain the edge and defeat his opponent; he knew that it was because of his arrogance, his belief that he was superior to Black, that dragged him to this moment, locked in battle against the Ultra Instinct technique.

The landscape around them was wrought by the intensity of their fight, their immense power too much for the realm to handle – Mechikabura parried Black's ki blade and caught him with a swift slash of his ōdachi and Black slammed into the side of a cliff; the Dark King immediately hammered him with a continuous stream of energy slashes, pinning Black against the rocks. The Saiyan-Kai defensively held his position, unable to move as the Dark King sought to overwhelm him via his immense speed and power.

Mechikabura kept up the barrage, hoping to break through Black's defences and flay him, whilst charging a ball of dark energy with his other hand to serve as the finishing blow. He was so absorbed in his efforts that he didn't notice the odd reflective flash within the stream of slashes – even though his body was guided by Ultra Instinct, there was a small cloud of confliction of Black's mind that hampered his full abilities. Pummelled by the bladed crescents, he began to let go of that doubt and trust in the Ultra Instinct and fight back against Mechikabura.

The Dark King noticed the flashes, representing Black's rising offensive, and he splayed his hand. "DIEEEEEE!" he screamed as he unleashed the Darkness Judgement.

The fully-powered energy wave smashed into the cliff and obliterated it with a massive explosion – a stream of pure silver energy blasted through the explosion with the intensity of an erupting star and Mechikabura gasped, his back burning from a colossal heat – the Demon Realm struggled to contain the vast galaxy-like energy that burst within its confines, shaking the realm to its core – Mechikabura fearfully turned around and his jaw dropped in horror, his eyes burning from the sight but he couldn't bring himself to look away.

A human-sized pillar composed of silver energy awaited him – Mechikabura, in horror, slashed frantically, but the ōdachi seemed to pass through the pillar without harm. In truth, the energy was moving so fast that it appeared to be still; with a shout, the Dark King attempted to run the energy through – the ōdachi got caught and Mechikabura watched on in terror as his ki sword was annihilated. He floated away in fear as the silver energy burst, finally revealing Goku Black.

His upper clothing disintegrated, unable to withstand his burning power; his silver eyes of cold steel fire, his hair now shimmering silver and refined, a brilliant aura of silver with fragments of blue and purple energy pulsating around him – a Halo exactly the same as Merged Zamasu emerged behind his shoulders and the Rosé-blade, now silver and purple, materialised upon his right hand.

"No," Mechikabura gasped. "No, it's not possible…IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"

Black blinked. Mechikabura gasped, Black now behind him – and a thousand hits met their mark. Needles of energy were left in their wake and they detonated and Mechikabura screamed.

Black's speed and power…it could not be possible and yet it was: he had mastered Ultra Instinct.

Black and Mechikabura faced each other – a burst of power – the Dark King smashed against another cliff-face on the other side of the Demon Realm, his mind unable to process Black's newfound power, reeling to keep up – blades of purple energy rained down from Black's Halo and pierced Mechikabura and the Demon Realm came alive with a resulting detonation.

" _He can't win…I cannot let him win!"_ Mechikabura thought with rage. Fear gave way to fury and he roared as he utilised every single drop of his immense power, creating another ki ōdachi, as his dark aura burst to life around him. Black charged.

The blades slammed against each other and the surrounding area was annihilated by the resulting clash of power.

The seal cracked under the pressure.

Dimensional slashes emerged around the combating warriors, disgorging the razor-sharp shards – Black didn't even appear to be dodging as he moved through the streams, ripping energy waves of his own. Mechikabura slashed – Black punched him and the Dark King was rocketed across the Demon Realm from the incalculable power.

Mechikabura launched a stream of ki from each finger on his free hand, stretching far and wide – Black flew through the beams unhindered and kicked the Dark King in the gut – he sliced, and with a mighty swing, Black shattered the ōdachi once more. Infuriated, Mechikabura lashed out with his fists, imbued with his energy.

Black dodged. And retaliated.

Mechikabura narrowly avoided the blade and sliced his hand skywards, creating a crescent blade of energy – Black evaded and lightning bolts stabbed at the Dark King.

They hurled blows and blasts at each other, the intensity of their fight generating a vortex that demolished anything around them and destabilising the seal that kept the Demon Realm contained.

Black lunged – Mechikabura slashed his hand – Black twisted under the Dark King's fist – and cut his torso. Mechikabura responded with a powerful energy wave that Black blocked, although he was propelled away by the force.

The Dark King raised his hand to the sky – a portal of hellish energy emerged and rained down a storm of energy arrows, covering a vast area and destroying anything they touched – Black flew through the storm – and cracked Mechikabura in the jaw.

A hundred hits followed before Mechikabura could even react, blasting him away.

The Dark King spammed energy wave after energy wave, trying to catch Black off-guard; Black skated atop each blasts as he closed the gap. He leapt off the final blast and lunged with the Rosé-blade – Mechikabura swung his energy-coated fist, creating a devastating explosion from the impact.

The seal shattered from the force, despite its distance from the battle.

No longer confined, the Demon Realm poured into the universe, spreading like a plague and corrupting anything in its path.

Black slashed the Rosé-blade and launched the javelins of the Divine Lasso – Mechikabura cut into the dimension to swallow the needles and he returned them via another dimensional tear – Black smashed him with a Super God Fist – Mechikabura was driven across the barren wasteland, slammed into a mountain and it shattered when the force of the blow caught up to Black's speed.

"You will give me back my daughter!" Black bellowed for the first time, flaring his intense aura.

Mechikabura whirled around – Black struck him again and again with rapid movements, each charge landing a hundred hits fuelled by Black's rage. The Dark King was helpless against the punishing assault, as Black punched him with a kiai, followed by a rapid onslaught of kiais. Finally, Black impaled Mechikabura with the Blades of Judgement, piling on the punishment with the detonation.

In agony and left panting heavily from the brutal attack, Mechikabura focused his energy into his hand, creating a massive sphere of dark energy – Black creamed him with a Supreme Black Kamehameha Wave. Severely weakened, the Dark King couldn't find the strength to stand and ultimately collapsed to his knees, unable to do a thing as Black approached.

Black punched his fist into Mechikabura's chest, his other fist plunging deep into the Dark King's stomach – Mechikabura screamed, as Black pulled his hands free, extracting a large cocoon of energy that he cradled as the light crumbled to reveal an unconscious Eikyu. With the considerable loss of his power, Mechikabura reverted to his youthful form and gulped woozily, struggling to maintain his consciousness as Black tenderly set Eikyu down and approached again, this time with the Rosé-blade.

Black raised the ki sword.

And screamed in absolute agony as the strain of the Mastered Ultra Instinct took its toll of his body – there was a vicious spray of blood that spewed from his back and black bolts of lightning energy caused him to convulse, his hair and eyes losing the silver sheen. Black crumbled to the ground, still screaming until the effects finally wore off and the Dark King had to wonder if his opponent had been killed by the mystical technique – Black sucked in a rattling breath, dispersing the Dark King's thoughts. Wearily, Mechikabura forced himself to his feet and staggered to the comatose Black, creating another ōdachi with the remnants of his energy.

"A worthy death for a worthy opponent. You gave me one hell of a fight, Goku Black, but in the end, I have proven to be the victor," the Dark King spoke as he raised the ōdachi. "Farewell, Saiyan, for your death births a new era."

He brought the ōdachi down – the blade stopped an inch from Black's throat. Mechikabura frowned, restrained by an unknown force that kept him from landing the finishing blow – a familiar power made its presence known and Mechikabura looked to it, everything making sense now.

He was frozen in time.

In her Time Unleashed form, Chronoa hovered before him, a graceful smirk on her face. Mechikabura mentally cursed her, infuriated by her presence. At that moment, a freshly-healed Towa appeared beside Black and she quickly checked him over, before noticing their daughter nearby and she moved to her offspring's side, checking her vitals.

"Today is not your day, I'm afraid," Chronoa spoke to Mechikabura. "Your dream will not come to fruition…I hope you are used to disappointment, for you will experience it for eternity."

Towa grabbed Eikyu and Black and warped them through space and time. Using her vast power and complete control over time, along with her immense magical knowledge, Chronoa captured the escaping Demon Realm in the bonds of time, freezing the dimension – and then she banished the entire realm, all occupants included along with Mechikabura and even herself, into the Time Labyrinth, effectively saving the universe from the Demon Realm's corruption.

Unfortunately, despite the Demon Realm being banished from the confines of the time stream, its effects weren't reversed, leaving the universe partially damaged.

-X-

The warm energy seeped into Black's body and slowly brought him out of his coma; he shielded his eyes against the brightness of the world, his body aching despite being healed and he moved to sit up. Hands touched and guided him and he looked at Towa, unable to help a small smile at her.

"How many times have I cheated death now?" he inquired.

"Only because I've been there to save your ass," Towa retorted. "I'd hate to think what would happen if I wasn't around…perhaps my life would be simple and stress-free…and I wouldn't have lost everything…well, perhaps not everything."

Black followed her line of sight and saw Eikyu sitting nearby, her back to her parents; she was hunched over, her arms on her raised knees. "Child," Black called out and Eikyu looked at him. "Come here." She walked over as he stood, supported by the Time Witch; he stared at his daughter, seeing Towa reflected back at him, but also seeing faint traces of himself. "The three of us will become the foundation of a new world; Mechikabura is gone and that allows us to rebuild without him breathing down our necks…unless you prefer to go elsewhere, in which case, I will not begrudge you for your decision."

Towa contemplated that proposal. "No…no, I think I will stay…our utopia will flourish, especially with Chronoa out of the way as well; we will be unhindered and should we be opposed, you have Ultra Instinct."

"Hm," Black replied. "I am unsure about that…I have no idea how to consciously tap into that power…and it damn near killed me...alas, there is no threat who would require such an extreme measure and so, I am not concerned. I have already proven my strength and dominance."

"So, that's it now?" Eikyu asked. "We're one big happy family creating our new empire?"

"Does that bother you?" Towa questioned.

"You trained me for a year to kill my father and now that doesn't matter anymore?"

"Do you still want to kill me?" Black asked. "Or would you rather join me in my new universe?"

The hybrid pondered her decision; despite the negative portrayals of her father and her training, she'd witnessed how he had protected her in battle and even rescued her from within Mechikabura (she was going to have nightmares for _years_ ). "I guess you aren't so bad after all," she stated. "And I have nothing better to do, soooo, I can hang around…until you guys get boring."

Black sniffed at her attitude; at least she had made the right decision. A small part of him wondered if he had made the right decision by allying with a Demon to create his vision; he reasoned that it didn't ultimately matter – Towa had proven herself with the birth of Eikyu and her assistance in battle…her intelligence and cunning would prove beneficial in the time to come as they established their utopia of pure beauty.

Mechikabura was gone.

Chronoa was gone.

This was his time now. This was the start of his new era – the universe would be reborn in his image, free from the pollution of mortals, just like he'd always envisioned. Black glanced at Towa by his side and he clasped Eikyu on the shoulder.

No-one could oppose them now.

* * *

A/N: Does it seem like I pulled MUI outta my ass? In a way, yes, and it was something I wanted for the final battle: MUI Black vs Perfected Mechikabura. I do feel like the execution is meh, but that's me personally; I do feel like it's rushed; at the same time, I didn't want to unnecessarily drag the story out for longer than what it should be. Either way, that's it, it's all done now. Thank you everyone, I hope you've enjoyed it.

Until next time.


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